Savior
by BoarderKC
Summary: The worst enemy of the DigiDestined is posessed by a vicious monster, the Kaiser. And now he is responsible for the life of the child of light. Can she save him, even after he destroys her mind?
1. Frozen Hell

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon  
  
  
Savior  
  
  
For the first few days she pounded at her chains and refused to eat. Although she was hungry and thirsty she was relentless. Almost super human. But she was only human, not a perfect being like himself. Eventually she stopped fighting and succumbed to the hunger that had long since set in.   
  
He watched her on one of the little computer screens that decorated the air in front of him. She grew weaker by day. It had been over a week now. A week without her friends. A week without sound. A week with very little food, hardly any water. So now she was weak. She didn't fight because she couldn't. She had given it up when her voice gave out three days ago.  
  
She was sleeping now, induced by the chemicals he put in her food that he gave her sparingly. Everything he gave her was highly drugged. She was never awake for more then twenty minutes a day. It could prove useful if he ever wanted more of her.  
  
He got up from his monitors and walked down the carved stone hallway that was the main passageway of his castle. He had gotten sick of watching her still form and of watching the rest of the Digi-Doofuses search for her. They were really quite humorous. Believing they really had a chance was cute.  
  
He crouched beside her. "Wake up." His voice was solid, but soft. She didn't move. He removed some smelling salts and held them under her nose. She moved her head and he shook her roughly. "Stand up."   
  
She shook her head. Her lips move, but no sound escaped them.   
  
He sighed. "Damn DigiDestined. So weak." He slapped her. She whimpered and tried to move. "What do you want?"   
  
"To go home," she forced.  
  
He smirked. "You can just leave." There was a flicker of hope in her eyes. "If you can stand and walk out."  
  
Her tensed up muscles slumped again. She couldn't move and she just barely opened her eyes.   
  
"Come on," he taunted. "Show me how strong the DigiDestined really are. You've always been such a nuisance to me; you never give up. What's stopping you know?"  
  
He could see it in her eyes. The taunting, it was hurting her.  
  
"Fine," he shrugged. He stood up and walked toward the exit. He heard the sounds of chains rattling and he glanced back to see her struggling to stand.  
  
"I will walk out of here," she stated, straining to keep hold of the black stonewall.  
  
"That's better," he smirked. With one snap of his fingers the chains disintegrated. The wall of the dungeon gave way to a frozen wasteland. "There's a Digiport off that way." He pointed off into the snow desert. "Over eight miles."  
  
She could feel the cold eating at her. Snowy winds beckoned at her.  
  
"Do you want any equipment?"  
  
"No," she snapped, stepping into the snow. She disappeared into the blizzard, the crunch of her footsteps and the clouds of white breath disappearing with her.  
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The monitors flickered with several different images. The DigiDestined, captured digimon, free digimon. It never stayed on one image for very long. He was able to monitor each, strategizing as his eyes moved between them. What would be the perfect way to destroy the Digi-Destined?  
  
One of the screens flickered on the image of the snowy wasteland just beyond his door. Except unlike most images this on was not completely white.  
  
"Freeze Frame 7!" He ordered. It froze. "Zoom in." The image intensified and he recognized the small segment of color. It was a hand.  
  
He jumped down from his chair and ran for the exit. Throwing open the door he saw Airdramon resting on the stoop lazily. He took one leap from the doorstep and landed on his back. "Let's go." The Airdramon waited for directions. To this he kicked the mighty digimon. "Just fly. I'll tell you when to stop." With a roar from the Airdramon they were off.   
  
He tightened his grip on the Airdramon. It was cold and he had been stupid enough to leave his jacket. The cold bit at his skin, causing him to shiver and his nose to redden. He could even feel tremors underneath him of digimon taxi.   
  
Hell had certainly frozen over.  
  
But it was his hell, so he was happy.   
  
His eyes, covered by sunglasses, despite the lack of sun, scanned the snow-covered ground searching for the color he had seen on his monitor. His eyes caught something, but it was hard to make out so he whipped off his glasses and stared harder.   
  
"Stop!" He commanded. The Airdramon stopped and slowly made his way to the ground. Before they reached it he jumped off the Airdramon's back and ran over to where he had spotted…whatever he had spotted.  
  
The snow crunched under his feet as he walked to the snow that was still piling up under his feet. It was a constant blizzard out here. But he didn't let the frozen wind whipping at his face break his steady pace. He had created these conditions, and this was the way he liked them. It was harder for anyone to find, or leave, his home.   
  
He knelt down at where he had seen the color. He pushed back some of the snow and found a completely white hand. He pulled off his glove and touched it lightly. It was completely frozen. He continued to dig, with his gloved hand. He found her frozen body underneath less then a foot of snow. Most of her body was white, except for the blue in her lips.  
  
She sucked in air as if she was breathing through a straw, but it was more then he expected. She was shook so violently it caused him to shake as well. He ripped off his cape and wrapped it around. He eyes fluttered open at the feeling and she clutched to his chest. The action caught him off guard, but he realized she had no idea who he was, nor did she care. He was warm.   
  
He picked her up and carried her back to Airdramon, who had finished his landing. He climbed onto its back. "Take us back," he commanded.  
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Well, I really like this so far. What do you think? Please read and review. I'll reveal the "stars" next chapter.  
  
I am still advertising a fan art contest. I would like some cute Tai and Kari fan arts for my web site and since this fic is dedicated to Tai and Kari's relationship I thought it would be fitting. There are two catagories in which the fan arts can be placed. They are Season 01 and Season 02 fan arts. Please, if you want to enter email me at BladeMKC@cs.com.   
  
Rules are it has to be a Tai/Kari center pic. Rule two no hentai or incest. Not that type of relationship. Brother/sister thing.   
  
Prize will be (this is lame, but all I have to offer) you can request a fic from me and I will do it on any subject, any couple, whatever. Although I draw the line at Yuri and Yaoi (sp?). And no incest. I don't do that type of thing. Plus the pic goes on my site.  



	2. Blind Capture

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon  
  
  
Savior  
  
  
The DigiDestined trudged through the forest. They searched for black spires that loomed over the digital earth and stretched to touch the blue sky above.   
  
Sometimes she wished she could do that.  
  
He appeared. Ready to fight, ready to kill. She couldn't say she was surprised, not like the others. She knew he had been there. Why she hadn't warned the others, she had no answer.  
  
The battle started. Digimon against digimon. One side out for blood, the other fighting for freedom. But from the way they attacked each other you couldn't tell which from which. And he stood in the center, watching them.  
  
It was incredible. He stood in the center of the battlefield. Attacks flew past him, ruffling his hair and cape with the breeze they created. But nothing moved him. He was like a statue; motionless, expressionless. Stark still. Nothing moved.  
  
Except his eyes.  
  
They moved. They stared holes into each DigiDestined. He'd size them up, running his eyes up and down their form. Examining each of them from afar. Then he got to her and their eyes met. None of the others paid any attention to him, despite his peculiar position on the battlefield. He raised an eyebrow at her. Something surprised him. He raised his arm and pointed at her, eyes never falling from her own.  
  
Her head and body burned. Cool grass tickled her face and she realized she was lying on the ground. He had pointed to her, he had signaled to a digimon to attack her.   
  
The pain was too much.  
  
The land around her got darker. Too dark to see. Her eyes had given out.   
  
She could still hear though. "Retreat!"  
  
Her friends were leaving.  
  
"Let's go!"  
  
"Run!"  
  
They had left.  
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He sat beside her and waited for her to wake. Despite the voice in his head that tugged at him to leave her, he just couldn't. He sat silently, waiting for her to wake up.  
  
It had been three days since he had picked her up from the snow outside his door. Five since he had "stolen" her from her friends. She tossed and turned for most of those three days. He knew what that was like. Nightmares made you toss and turn. He had his fair share of those.   
  
She trembled; an action that caused her entire incredibly small frame to shake violently. He pulled the blankets that rested over her up to her chin. The shaking continued.   
  
He sat back and watched her. He had no idea why he was doing this. She was a DigiDestined, his enemy. He should have left her in the snowdrift if not his dungeon. But there was just something about her he liked.  
  
He saw her eyes open. They were troubled and distressed. "So, your finally awake," he said.   
  
She looked around wildly and her eyes searched for a familiar face. She moved her lips to speak, but she could force no sound.  
  
"Here, drink this."   
  
He lifted her up into a sitting position and held a cup to her lips. She drank greedily from it. It tasted sweet, chocolate. Hot chocolate. The boiling hot liquid burned her lips and tongue, but it tasted good and felt good going down her throat. It warmed her from the inside for she couldn't get warm on the outside despite the many blankets covering her.   
  
"I see you like it." She nodded. "I'll get more for you later."   
  
He laid her back. "So, you mind telling me your name?" She opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was a hacking cough. "Never mind. I'm pretty sure I know it already." Her eyes continued to dart around, searching in vain for something to clear up. He waved a hand over her eyes, but got no response. "Can you see?" She shook her head.  
  
He kept his voice low and rather monotone. He was afraid she might recognize him and freak out. She needed to rest, and attempting an escape, as most DigiDestined would, was not a form of rest.  
  
He pulled the blanket off of her and she shivered fiercely. He pinched her ankle. "Can you feel this?"   
  
A look of confusion came over her face. 'Feel what?' She mouthed.  
  
He swallowed the lump in her throat. "Nothing." He pulled the blanket to her chin again. "I'm going to let you rest. You have to sleep. Okay?" She nodded, but looked bothered and terrified. "You'll be okay. Your eye sight will come back and I'll return you to your friends." He started to straighten up, but she grabbed his arm, almost hitting him in the face as she blindly reached for him. "Unhand me!" He screamed at her.   
  
She quickly pulled away again and tears filled her eyes. 'I'm sorry.' She mouthed.  
  
"Just get some sleep," he replied, forcing his voice down. "I'll be back later to check on you. I'll have something for you to eat." She closed her eyes and he strode out of the room. He shut the door and bit his lip. He hadn't meant to blow up at her. If she was going to be staying with him, he'd have to learn to control that.  
  
With a sigh he walked down the hall, mind still on her.  
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She moved and her eyes barely opened. They stung from light which she couldn't pinpoint for nothing would focus. She tried to remember what had happened, but nothing solid came to mind. Bits and pieces of memories came to her. Chains on her wrists, no food, snow, cold; a warm breathe on her neck.  
  
She tried to talk, but all that came out was a squeak followed by a painful cough. She swallowed the lump in her throat. She was completely terrified. She was blind and mute. Plus she couldn't feel her legs and she was in the care of boy who bit her head off at the slightest touch.   
  
She forced herself to sit up, despite the pain in her arms and the dead weight of her lower body. It was an exertion that took most of her energy and left her struggling for breath. She closed her eyes as she wheezed; having them open was completely useless.  
  
"Its not a very good idea to strain yourself so much." It was the low toned boy from before. The one who yelled at her. She shook in fear from him. "Don't worry, I'll try to stay calm. But that's not very easy for me. Be patient please." She nodded. She heard something get set down beside her on a table or something. "Are you hungry?"  
  
She nodded. Her stomach growled as the smell of hot food rose to her nose. She was curious to how long she had been unconscious.  
  
"Still can't see?" He asked. She shook her head sadly feeling totally idiotic. That's okay." She heard the annoyance in his voice, he was not happy with her presence. She heard a chair being pushed towards the bed. "I'll help you eat, I guess. I got soup, I wasn't sure if your stomach could handle anything else. Its what my mom gave me when I was sick, she said it makes you feel better." She could hear a slight bitterness in his words.  
  
"Here, I put it in a mug so you could drink it. Just try not to choke on the noodles," he laughed. She left herself smile despite the lack of it being funny. But it gave her a reason to smile.   
  
She felt someone lift her hands and a warm mug gently set in between them. She lifted it to her lips and drank slowly. It felt good and tasted good, just like the hot chocolate. She pulled away the mug and licked her lips. They were cracked and painful.  
  
"Are you still hungry? I can get you more if you'd like." She shook her head. "Okay, here. Take this." He took the mug and set something in her hand. She played with it using her fingers. "Its just some medicine, nothing lethal." He took her other hand and put a glass in it. "Take it."  
  
She did as she was told and took it. She gulped down the entire glass of water with it. "Well, at least you won't be dehydrated." She nodded.   
  
An uncomfortable silence passed between them.  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm not good at talking. It really isn't my best skill."   
  
She motioned him closer. When she felt his breath on her cheek she forced, "Your doing a fine job."  
  
"At least you sound like your getting better. How do you feel?" He whispered.  
  
"Ti…red…" It was getting harder to speak. "I…can't…f-feel my…legs."  
  
"I know," he said solemnly.   
  
"If I-I…f-fall asleep…will…you stay with…me?" She asked.  
  
"I-if you want me to." Two hands helped her slide back down so she was lying on the bed.   
  
Within seconds she fell asleep. The pill he gave her had strong effects. He should know, he's taken it many times just to sleep to keep his mind clear. He sat down in his chair, with his knees pulled up to his chest.   
  
Why did she want him to stay? How could he even think he was fit to take care of her? He wasn't, it was just the opposite. Not with who he was and how he couldn't keep himself in control.  
  
But she had no clue to his identity. Hopefully he could keep it that way.  
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He sat in his throne and typed away at a keyboard that materialized in the air. He was trying to figure out how to modify the control spires that kept him in control of the DigiWorld. The DigiDestined had proved to be almost intelligent by trying to take them out.   
  
"KEN!" Someone screamed. Another keyboard appeared in the air beside him and he used on hand to type a command on it. A large screen appeared before the one with a picture of a control spire on it. On the new screen was the blond boy of the DigiDestined. "KEN! I know you can hear me!" He was red faced and sweat ran down his face and into his eyes. He looked tired and his clothes were rumpled. His hair was matted and more ruffled then usual. "Where is she?! I want her back! What could you possibly want with her? Is this some trick? Give her back."   
  
Ken pushed another button on the keyboard and held it down. "Airdramon, shut that blubbering fool up!" He let go of the button and the screen disappeared.  
  
He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. He had spent the entire day sitting in front of his mid-air computer and his eyes ached. He was bored too. Now that he had his little guest to keep him company it just didn't seem so important to sit in front of the computer trying to come up with different schemes for world domination.   
  
He got up and walked down the stonewall castle hall. He reached a large door and quietly slipped inside. He saw her sitting up, which was a good sign, staring up at the ceiling.   
  
"Bored?" He asked as he approached the bed. She whipped her head around in his direction, unbeknownst that he was now standing beside her. Her eyes were unfocused, searching for him. He touched her shoulder. "I'm here."  
  
"Oh, okay," he voice was strained.  
  
"Bored?" He repeated as he pulled his usual chair to sit next to her.  
  
"A little." She ran her hand over the blankets trying to get used to seeing with her hands instead of her eyes. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be complaining. I should just be happy I'm alive I suppose. And besides, its not your job to keep me entertained. You've gone far beyond your obligation of just saving me. You could you just taken me to a hospital."  
  
Yeah, if they existed here. "Hey, it was nothing," he shrugged. "So what do you usually do for fun?"  
  
"Things that require the ability to walk and see." The answer was laced with bitterness. It surprised him. In all the time he had studied her as an opponent he had never heard her speak so harshly. She closed her unfocused eyes and shook her head trying to clear her thoughts. "Sorry," she whispered. "Anyway, what do you do for fun?"  
  
'Well, I destroy things and beat defenseless creatures.' Yeah right! "I play soccer. But I don't spend a lot of time having fun. I study a lot."  
  
"That's too bad. Soccer's okay, I guess. I'm not too sporty myself." She said sporty with so much zeal a cheerleader would have bowed at her feet. Although it was very sarcastic. She laughed. He laughed too and she stopped. "I've heard that laugh before. I know I have." She somehow managed to move her eyes to meet his face. "Who are you?"  
  
"No one. I just found you outside my door." I'll have to be careful around her now.   
  
"Then how come you said you knew me when I couldn't talk?" She was a smart one, wasn't she? "I see you can't answer my question." He didn't say anything. "Can I try something on you?"   
  
"Try what?" He asked, his eyebrow rose. She lifted her hand and searched through the air with it. He grabbed it and almost smiled at how warm she was. "What?"  
  
"Just come closer." He got up and sat down on the bed. She pulled her hand away and placed it on the side of his face. She ran her hand down his face and a small smile played on her lips. "Your skin is soft." She touched his hair. "Your hair's spiky, like a friend of mine." She touched the rim of his glasses. "You wear glasses?" She ran her hand over his lips.  
  
'Her fingers are so soft-' He grabbed her hand and pulled it away from his lips. "That's enough."  
  
"I'm sorry. I was just-"  
  
"It doesn't matter. I'm telling you that's enough." He pushed her hand away.  
  
She got red faced with embarrassment. "I'm-I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to make you mad at me. I was just trying to figure out who you were." He smirked. She was stammering and stumbling over her words like a five year old that was being scolded by her parents.  
  
"So, are you hungry?" He asked trying, subtly, to steer the conversation away from who he was.  
  
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Nice try, I still want to know who you are." Silence passed between them. She sighed, "Fine. Yes, I am hungry."  
  
"Come on, I'll see what I can get for you."  
  
"What do you mean come on?" She asked, surprised.   
  
"Well, your going to get up and come with me to the kitchen," he replied in an 'its-so-obvious-its-stupid' tone.  
  
"In case you forgot, Mr. Mysterious, I can't walk. And I can't see. You mind explaining to me what you have in mind?" She was smirking. She was truly curious, despite the nagging feeling she had, about what he was going to do.   
  
"Do you want to test your legs?"  
  
"Didn't you hear me the first time? I can't walk!"  
  
"For a DigiDestined you aren't very hopeful," he crossed his arms. Then he mentally kicked himself.  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
"Nothing!" He yelled.  
  
Too bad she was persistent. "No, what did you say? DigiDes- ahh!"  
  
He really hadn't meant to do it. He didn't mean to hit her. He just did it before he could stop himself. She sat frozen, cheek red and slightly swollen. Tears welled in her blank, brown eyes and he felt air whoosh out of his lungs. He hadn't even realized he was holding his breath.  
  
She lowered her head so he couldn't see the tears in her eyes. She closed her eyes; the tears made them burn. The tears did not fall; she was still in too much shock from the hit. She hadn't even seen it coming, and she meant that on more levels then one. So they just stayed in her eyes, painfully burning.   
  
Footsteps thundered through the room, away from her. A door slammed. She winced at the sound of the door slamming and a small whimper escaped her.  
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Ken stood outside of her room. 'I shouldn't have hit her. She didn't deserve it. It wasn't called for.'  
  
'She's your enemy!' A darker, more predominate voice snapped inside his mind.  
  
'Go away,' he cried inside his head.  
  
'She deserves everything she gets. You are too good to her. She's your foe; she's everything you aren't. Might as well kill her.'  
  
'I won't do that,' he replied, voice small as he gripped his head and stumbled down the hall.  
  
'If it comes to that Almighty Kaiser, you won't have a choice,' the voice laughed at him.  
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Well, there's chapter two. I revampted it, a little.  
  
Don't forget to review. 


	3. Guest or Hostage?

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon  
  
  
  
Savior  
  
  
  
He felt bad, the real him, but didn't return to visit her that night. Nor did he visit her the next day. He had thrown himself into his work, locking himself in his computer room and ignoring any interruptions. That way he could ignore the foreign feelings of guilt and pity he felt.  
  
Now he stood in front of the door to her room. He grimaced. He held a tray in his hands. It had been at least forty-eight hours since she had eaten last and that couldn't be good for her already weaken body.  
  
'Doesn't matter,' the predominate little voice snapped at him.  
  
'Shut up,' he replied.  
  
With a sigh he pushed the door open and slipped inside. She was lying down in the bed, back to the door. He walked over and set the tray down. "You awake?" He asked in a stern, but light tone.  
  
"You said you would control your temper." She didn't bother to turn around.  
  
"That was before you could talk," he retorted. She didn't reply. "I brought you something to eat. Get up."  
  
"I don't want it," she snapped indignantly.  
  
"Don't give me any lip," he chided harshly. He grabbed her arm and forced her to turn around. He pulled her into a sitting position.  
  
She swung at him blindly. "Let me go! Don't touch me again!"  
  
His grip on her arm tightened and she winced in pain. "I will do as I please! And as long as you are a guest in my house you will do as I say!" He was in her face, nose just inches from touching hers. He knew she couldn't see him, but her other sense worked and she knew where he was and he watched as she retracted from him.  
  
"Guest my ass," she screamed back.  
  
"I have not kept you against your will. At any point in time you can leave and I will take you home if I need too." She closed her eyes, something she started doing out of habit, and looked away. "Do you want me to take you home?" He asked after a minute of silence. "Because I will. I don't need this gruff from a gimpy little blind girl."  
  
"No," she murmured.  
  
"What?" He asked surprised.  
  
"No, I said!" She repeated louder.  
  
"Oh," was all he could force. 'Why not?' He asked himself. 'Why did she want to stay? We have done nothing, but fight.' "So are you ready to eat yet?"  
  
"Fine," she sighed. "What is it?"  
  
"Just some rice. I figured after so many days without eating you should have something solid." It was an indirect apology. "Do you think your stomach can handle it?"  
  
She nodded. It didn't matter what it was. She was starving and would have eaten anything he gave her, not that she wanted to have it come up again later. But rice wasn't what she had been expecting either. More like gruel after the "fight" they had.  
  
He took her hands and placed the warm bowl in it. He placed a spoon in the other. "There you go. When your done just put it to the side or, if you can find it the bedside table. I'll be back to pick it up later." He headed for the door.  
  
"Uh." He stopped and looked back. "Stay?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I could use the company." With a shrug he pulled up the chair he used when he had sat by her after he had pulled her in from the cold. She began to gobble down the rice.  
  
"Can you see yet? Is it getting better?" He asked, trying to fill the silence so he wouldn't feel so uncomfortable.  
  
She wiped her mouth with her sleeve and he realized he had forgotten a napkin. "Its better, it's getting better. I can see light and some shape. But everything's blurry and it hurts my head to keep my eyes open too long." She finished off the rice.  
  
"Can you feel your legs yet?"  
  
"No," she whispered sadly.  
  
"Here I'll take the bowl."  
  
"Is it all gone?" She asked, confused.  
  
"Yeah, you want more?" She shook her head and he took the bowl from her hands. He pulled a bottle off the tray and gave it to her. "Its just a bottle of water. Take a drink." She obliged and took a long drink.  
  
He watched her silently from his chair. She kept her head down and he wandered if she had forgotten he was there. Her shoulders began to tremble lightly. He got up and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Are you okay?" She didn't reply. He lifted her chin. Her eyes were closed, but there were wet track marks running from her eyes down her chin. "What's wrong?" She shook her head and cried into her hands. His discomfort grew. "Stop crying. Whatever your crying about isn't going to get any better from you blubbering." Her shoulders heaved harder and she flung herself against him.  
  
He sat frozen, arms away from her, in shock. She continued to cry on him despite his ridged posture and demands to stop crying. Then he felt the other presence shy away from the controlling part of his mind and he felt his body full under his own control. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly, rocking her back and forth. She melted into his warm embrace and her quiet weeping turned into loud choking sobs.  
  
They sat like that for a long time. He held her in silence until her loud sobs turned into quiet whimpers then light forced breathing. She hadn't moved her head from his shoulder at all.  
  
'This feels so good,' he thought loving every second of it. The presence sat like a ghost in his mind and sent disgust through him. 'But it does,' he replied. To have her body pressed up against his own, leaning against him for support. His hand snaked its way through her hair then stroked it lightly.  
  
'Your pathetic,' the presence sneered.  
  
She pulled away. "I'm sorry. I lost control."  
  
"Wanna talk about it?" His hand itched to touch her hair again. Her mouth opened and then closed again. She shook her head.  
  
Silence filled the air. His hand itched again and he looked down to find his fingers laced with hers. He pulled away, with much reluctance; she didn't seem to notice. "How long have I been here?" Her voice was high and it cracked with emotion.  
  
"Three, close to four weeks. Although you've only been awake at most two weeks."  
  
"My brother's probably freaking."  
  
"What about your parents?" He asked curiously.  
  
"I'm sure they're worried, but my brother's super over-protective of me. He flips every time I get a scrape." She giggled. "Do you think you could send him a message saying that I'm okay?"  
  
He grimaced. The leader of the DigiDestined? Contact him? That had to be the stupidest thing he could do as the enemy.  
  
"I sense some hesitation. Please?" She pleaded.  
  
"Okay. I'll email him, what's his address?"  
  
A small grin spread across her face. "SoccerStud-SuperTai@yahoo.com," she laughed. He laughed too. "Just tell him I'm okay, okay?"  
  
"Okay, I'll go do it now." He got up and walked towards the door. He glanced back briefly. She was staring up at the ceiling, eyes glistening.  
  
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He sat at his computer, staring off into space. He wasn't working on anything; he had just come in, sat down and just…sat. He didn't even have anything open, just a black blank screen sitting in front of him.  
  
Lately he had a lot on his mind. He would start thinking about the usual destruction that clouded his mind. Then he would start thinking about how the DigiDestined kept getting stronger and bolder. Soon they might even have the audacity search the icy part of the Digital World. Then that topic would disappear from his mind as if the DigiDestined finding him was no big deal and everything in his mind would go to her. He would that about the way her hair felt running through his fingers. And the way she was always warm despite that cold she had experienced that still came back to haunt her through fevers and late night chills. And the way his hand itched to touch her.  
  
Truth was, he wanted to do anything to make her happy right now, no matter the disgust that caused inside of his mind. His heart, for the first time in a long while, was in control, as much as the presence would allow.  
  
'Your heart is a weakness. It makes you vulnerable, it makes you hurt,' the voice sneered at him. 'It makes you stupid. It makes you hesitate.'  
  
"You've got mail!" An automated voice announced to him as the image of a letter appeared on the blank screen. His brow creased. No one had this address. He hit a button on his mid air keyboard and waited for the thing to open. If it was another stupid ad-  
  
He stopped when his eyes saw the address. SoccerStud-SuperTai@yahoo.com. He scrolled down. How'd that fool get this address? 'You idiot!' the voice chided. 'You were so busy swooning over "that girl" you forgot to block your email address.'  
  
The letter finished loading. It read:  
  
/Dear Ken, This is Yamato Ishida.\  
  
The holder of friendship?  
  
/I'm writing for Tai because I don't think you want a letter of insults, threats, and cussing. So what do you want for Kari? Your letter wasn't exactly a ransom note, so we're in the dark, Kaiser.\  
  
Ransom note? What do I want?  
  
/Here's the deal, your note wasn't exactly the most convincing piece of evidence that Kari is safe. We want to see her; we want hard evidence that she is positively okay before we cut any deals. You better treat her right! Because if you don't you won't just have ten very angry DigiDestined to deal with, you'll have half the Digital World on your ass. And then not even your slaves could protect you. Sincerely Yamato Ishida and Taichi Yagami.\  
  
Ken sat back in his chair. They thought he was ransoming her off. He chuckled, this was even better the he thought. Now how to convince them she was okay, without them seeing she's blind and crimpled.  
  
He got up from his chair and began to pace. Would it be right to use her like that?  
  
'It doesn't matter,' the presence snapped. 'She could be quite a bargaining chip if I need it.'  
  
He looked up and saw he was standing in front of a door. Interesting, he hadn't meant to go to her room.  
  
He slipped into the room. She was sitting up, bobbing her head to the music coming from a radio he had given her. "So, which band is that?" He asked walking over to the bed.  
  
Her fingers fumbled over the controls trying to find the volume. He picked up her hand and placed it on the volume dial. "Thanks." He sat down beside her. "This is the Teenage Wolves."  
  
"That guy, Yamato Ishida, he's the lead singer, right?" Ken asked. She nodded, eyes down cast as usual. "He sent me an email today. Seems you have some very famous friends."  
  
"What? Why'd he email you?" She asked.  
  
"Responding to the email I sent your brother."  
  
Her shoulders became tense and her brown eyes became worried. He looked into the, intrigued. In the entire time she had been here they had shown no emotion at all. "Why'd he reply? What about my brother?" She asked.  
  
"Matt said he was a little too emotional to type. They want to see you, to make sure your okay," he explained.  
  
"No," she replied.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I said I don't want them to see me. I don't want to see them," she said a matter-of-factly.  
  
"Why?" He asked.  
  
"Because," she muttered.  
  
He reached out and touched her hand. "Come on, these are your friends, why don't you want to see them?" She didn't answer. "Well?"  
  
"Shut up!" She yelled suddenly. "What does it matter to you whether I want to see my brother or not! I'm sorry I'm not cooperating and you can't get rid of me!" She pounded her fists on the bed. She began to cough violently.  
  
He grabbed her wrists and held them down. "You're going to make yourself sick. Calm down," he warned.  
  
"What do you care?" She muttered.  
  
"If your going to argue speak up," he instructed. She stuck her tongue out at him. "Very mature." He laughed and she couldn't suppress a smile.  
  
"You know what I want to try doing today."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Standing up." Her grin grew a little bigger.  
  
"Can you feel your legs?" He asked.  
  
"Uh-uh, but that's okay. You know, people spend months at a time in physical therapy just to rebuild strength in their legs or arms or whatever." She paused for a minute; a shy look overcoming her features. "Do you think you can help me? I doubt I can do it by myself."  
  
"Yeah sure!" He replied immediately without thinking.  
  
She grinned. "Great!"  
  
He stood up and gently pulled off the two blankets that were piled on top of her. She was wearing a white nightshirt that he had found. He quickly averted his eyes, trying not to stare at her long thin legs. "Can you swing your legs over the edge?" He asked.  
  
She used her arms to turn herself, but he didn't say anything. "Okay, here's the moment of truth," she said with a small, hopeful grin.  
  
He took her hands and pulled her off the bed. For a second she stood, unsteadily, but she teetered over landing on top of him. His glasses flew off his face and a small blush spread across his face.  
  
"Sorry," she whispered, disappointed. She rolled off of him.  
  
"Its okay. We'll try again tomorrow." He pushed himself off the ground. His eyes searched the floor for his glasses.  
  
She sat on the floor trying to rub some feeling into her bare ankles. Nothing. With a sigh she ran a hand over the soft carpet and ran her fingers over something small. She picked them up and studied them with her fingers. They were glasses. She slipped them on her face. Instantly her vision cleared.  
  
"How'd you get those?"  
  
She looked up and saw the face of her caretaker and the excitement was sucked out of her. "Ka-Kaiser," she stated.  
  
He reached down. "Come on. Let me help you up."  
  
"NO! Don't touch me!" She yelled. He ignored her and picked her up, fighting and squirming. He dropped her on the bed. "Why are you taking care of me?"  
  
"Why are you angry at me for saving your life?" She just stared back at him, seething. "You're an odd girl."  
  
"You're an evil tyrant."  
  
"Your point?"  
  
"Why are you taking care of me?" She repeated.  
  
He shrugged. "Because you needed it."  
  
Her eyes shifted around the room, studying her surroundings. "That doesn't make sense," she said, not looking at him. "You're my enemy. You've spent weeks trying to kill me. And now suddenly you save me. It's was your fault I was there in the snow in the first place."  
  
"My fault?!" She looked at him with eyes the color of brown and rose. Odd combination to look at. "Oh I see how it is. Your friends can do no evil. So even if they did leave you behind after our battle its okay." He paused allowing himself a moment to calm down. He began speaking again, his voice composed, "You really want to know why? You know, Light, I was quite intrigued by you. I have spent an immense amount of time studying you and your friends as opponents inside and outside this world. Out of your entire group you impressed me the most. You with your undying faith in everyone. How you believe that everyone and everything has good inside them. Could how your reacting to me show that you believe there is no good left inside of me? Are you really giving up that trait of undying belief to believe that I have absolutely no charity left inside me?" She was at a loss for words. "I guess that's your answer then. I will have your clothes returned to you and have someone escort you to the dungeon by nightfall." With that he stormed out of the room.  
  
Truthfully she hurt him. He didn't know why, he had been expecting that.  
  
'What did I tell you? She'll hurt you. Caring hurts. Get it through your head.'  
  
He stormed into his computer room. "SLAVE! Get in here now!"  
  
A small gotsumon appeared in the doorway. "M-master?"  
  
"Get the girl her clothes. Then take her to the dungeon." He brought up a computer screen.  
  
"But master, her strength. Its failing-"  
  
"Am I making myself clear!" He bellowed, cutting off the stone digimon.  
  
"Yes master," he quivered and ran off.  
  
He opened the email with a new sheet and began to type furiously. "Dear DigiDestined. I don't believe you quite understand the situation. You are in no position to be making demands. I have the child of light and as long as I do I will be making the demands. Do you understand? I have only one demand for the time being, keep your friends out of the Digital World. With any rescue attempts could become more damaging to her health." He sat back and read over the letter. Would he follow through with any of his threats if they did come? They wouldn't dare trying if they knew her life was in danger. He sent it and ran a hand through his spiked hair. He touched his face.  
  
'She still has your glasses.' 


	4. Taking Care

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon  
  
  
Savior  
  
  
"Master! Master!" A gekomon ran into his computer room. He landed on hands and knees before the mighty Kasier who busied himself at his computer.  
  
"What is it?" He asked calmly, silently seething that he had been interrupted while working.  
  
"The girl-" it panted.  
  
"What about her?" He muttered, voice detached. He had little patients for any discussions of her. Wormmon had spent much of the last few days trying to get him to release her from the dungeon. This argument continued well after Wormmon left as the debate continued in his head, making a night of sleep impossible.  
  
"She's sick."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Incredibly sick. We went to take her some food, but we could not get her to rise-"  
  
Before the Gekomon could finish he jumped from his seat and ran past him. He ran down the stone hall and down a creaky metal stairwell. He reached the foot of the stairs and found himself staring down a long hall. This is where he kept his slaves, his dungeon. He walked down the hall, his footsteps sounding hollow in his ears. Digimon roared and growled behind steel locked doors. The place could hold anything.  
  
He reached the farthest door and pulled the lock off. The dead bolt, which now that he thought about it seemed a little over done, fell to the floor with a loud clang. He pulled the heavy door open and stepped inside.  
  
'Nothing's over done when it comes to the DigiDestined.'  
  
The air was icy and each breath he took made his lungs and nose sting. He tried breathed through his mouth, but the air tasted old and musky, leaving a bad taste in his mouth. Stepping further into the cold cell he let his eyes adjust to the dim light. Water fell from the ceiling and trailed down his shirt causing him to shiver.  
  
She lay on the floor at the very back of the cell. She shook under the thin sheet she had been given. He regretted the treatment he had given her down here.  
  
He crouched beside her and pulled his glasses off her face. He touched her forehead and brushed aside her bangs that plastered there from sweat. She was burning up. Her clothes and the blanket were soaked through. Each breath she took was ragged and labored.  
  
He tossed the blanket away and picked her up. She whimpered and tried to push him away. "Hey, calm yourself," he cooed gently. He pushed himself off the floor and took a moment to steady himself with the extra weight in his arms.  
  
He trudged into the hallway. Roars and screams of his captives rang in his ears and the sound of them crashing against the door echoed through the hall. He cursed himself for placing her so far from the stairwell. He cursed himself again for having stairs and not elevators.  
  
He ascended the rickety old stairwell and continued to push himself down the hall, ignoring his slaves who ran to his side volunteering to take his bundle from him. He denied them the "honor", as they so oddly put it. He found an empty room, one close to his room, and kicked it open. He entered the semi dark room and walked over to the bed. He struggled to turn down the blanket and after many attempts; almost dropping her twice he laid her down gently. He covered her with every blanket in the room he could find, but it didn't stop the shaking.  
  
"Someone get in here now!" Four gotsumon ran in. "Strip her of those clothes and have them burned. Get her another nightshirt. And someone make her some tea." The four digimon dispersed to their tasks. He went to his own room and stripped his bed of his thick blanket. He walked back to his room and paused before he knocked. "Are you done?"  
  
"Yes master." Someone called after a few moments of silence. He kicked the door open and walked inside. The gotsumon had stepped away from the bed, waiting for their next orders. Ignoring them, he laid the big blanket over her.  
  
The last gotsumon ran in carrying a tray with two cups and a teapot on it. He appeared to be having trouble balancing it and Ken wrenched it out of his hands, the force knocking the cups over.   
  
"Get out!" He ordered. "If I need you, I will call for you." The gotsumon scurried out of the room and he turned away in disgust. Placing the tray on the nightstand, he poured a cup and placed it aside to cool. He went to the bathroom located through a door in the car corner of the semi lit room. He came back with a bowl of water and a white cloth under his arm. Water spilled over the sides of the bowl as he made his way back to the bed.  
  
After putting down the bowl and cloth, he picked up the tea and blew on it softly. Taking a seat beside her, he brushed hair from her face. "Hey, come on. I need you to sit up and drink this." Her eyes flickered open briefly and her lips moved with incoherent sounds. Using his free hand he pulled her up and let her lay against him. He blew on the tea again before putting it to her lips. "Drink."  
  
She opened her mouth and the liquid spilled inside. Her pale, sickly face contorted into one of pain and she jerked away. The scolding tea spilled onto his pants.  
  
"Ah, shit!" He cursed as he jumped to his feet. It looked like he wet himself. She mumbled something that sounded remotely like 'I'm sorry'. With a sigh of aggravation, he let the subject slide. He picked up the white cloth and put it into the bowl, allowing the cool water to soak into it. He laid it on her head.  
  
'Isn't this wonderful,' the voice laughed. 'Here she is. Dying. You hold her life in your hands. Don't blow it!'  
  
"Ken." He knew it was Wormmon by the sound of his annoying little voice. He ignored the fact that the puny little insolent hadn't called him master. "Your doing it wrong, Ken."  
  
The presence snapped his head around at Wormmon. "How can you say that 'I' am…" 'Shut up,' he ordered the presence. 'Wormmon is probably right. I have no idea how to take care of anyone.' "What am I doing wrong?"  
  
Wormmon crawled closer to him. "When a human has a bad fever you want to cool them down. The wet cloth is the right idea, but all the blankets need to be taken off."  
  
"Cool down," he repeated. "Okay." He pulled the blankets off of her.  
  
"Just keep the cloth cool. You need to get her body to cool down. Or else she'll die." He nodded and wiped her face with the cloth.  
  
The day wore down and he stayed by her side every minute of it. It was his fault she was sick and he would be damned if she died. The hours passed, he was sure it was well into the night. She withered and whimpered feverishly in the bed. She wasn't getting any better; at least she wasn't getting worse.  
  
"Ken, please eat," Wormmon begged, worried about his master. The boy ignored the worm. He wouldn't eat until she was up and well. Stroking her hair softly, fear rose inside him. She could not die!  
  
Wormmon watched the Kaiser, a worried frown on his small features. He had never seen him this way. So compassionate towards another life, this was not the Kaiser he knew and feared. This was the Ken he once loved; the one that had died the day the Kaiser came to be.  
  
**~~**  
  
Soft sunlight shone through the slits in the dark, thick drapes. Her fever had cooled considerably and her body had ceased its withering. She slept quietly in the bed, two blankets pulled over her. The room was silent except for her breathing, which was still harsh and labored sounding.  
  
Ken sat in his chair beside her, staring into space. Wormmon lay asleep at his feet like a loyal little puppy but he didn't pay any attention to him. Ken rubbed his eyes. His stomach growled from hunger and his eyes ached from lack of sleep and focus.  
  
A loud cough escaped her and her lips began to move. It snapped him from the half sleep he had slipped into. Curious, he got up from his seat and moved his ear to her mouth. No sound came out, but something touched his cheek. He reached up and caught her hand. Her eyes opened a tiny bit then closed again. "I-I can't see," she whispered.  
  
"I have the glasses," he answered softly.  
  
She nodded. "I'm not in the dungeon anymore, am I?"  
  
"No, I moved you into a room again."  
  
She opened her eyes again. They were unfocused and dilated. "Why?"  
  
"Because you were sick." She nodded another okay. "How do you feel?" He asked, picking up her hand and squeezing it lightly. She looked like she was starting to doze.  
  
"Like hell."  
  
"I can't take care pf you," he informed. She got a look of confusion on her face. "Your too sick. I'm going to take you to the real world-"  
  
"No, I can't go back," she protested, cutting him off.  
  
"Yes," he argued. "You have too. I'm going to take you too a friend of mine. He'll treat you and he won't ask questions."  
  
"So, I won't have to go home?"  
  
He shook his head. "You don't have to go home. Do you feel up to going? The sooner we can go the better, but if you can't I'm not going to make you."  
  
"Its fine. I can."  
  
"Okay. I'll be right back, then we'll go." He got up and nudged Wormmon with the toe of his shoe. "Wormmon, we're going to leave soon," he notified the green worm when he was fully awake.  
  
"Alright master, I'll hold down the base."  
  
"You do that," Ken replied. "I'll return in a moment." He walked out of the room and into his own. He tossed on some new clothes and stepped in front of the mirror to examine his reflection.   
  
'Look what she's doing to you, to us. We look ragged and exhausted. Is this the type of impression the Kaiser should give? And why should you care if she lived or died? Let her!'  
  
He ran a hand through his spiky hair, suddenly disgusted with himself. He turned away from the mirror and returned to her room. He touched her shoulder, letting her know he was there. She was partially asleep. "Ready?" He asked her. She nodded. "Do you want the glasses?" She nodded and he slipped them onto her face. She blinked twice, but her eyes didn't clear. He lifted her up, bundling her up in one of the two blankets. She let out a nervous breath. He walked out of the room, feeling the weight of her against him. He walked into the control room where his computer sat untouched since he had left it the day before. He picked up his dark Digivice and raised it to the computer screen. "Digiport open!"  
  
When the light that had come from the port disappeared, he looked around. He was standing in his room, his old room. The air was still and cold and it looked exactly the way he had left it.  
  
'Oh goody,' the presence sneered. 'I was feeling a bit nostalgic.'  
  
"Where?" She started to ask before coughing loudly.  
  
"Sh," he ordered. "This is my old room. But if my parents are home and they hear us, they'll make you go home." She stayed quiet this time. He made his way to the door and struggled to open it a tiny bit. Outside of his room it was warm and soft sounds filled the air. The sounds of talking, from a television from one side of the hall and sizzling from the kitchen on the other. "Great, surrounded from both sides," he whispered.  
  
He pushed his door open farther and slipped out into the open hallway. Quietly he tiptoed down the hall, the carpet crunching softly under his foot. He now stood at the doorway to the living room. No doubt his father was in their watching some dim-witted comedian or game show host trying to entertain the rest of the idiots in the world. And as far as his family went, it was working. 1…2…3. He rushed past the door way without being noticed. His father was completely oblivious.   
  
Now he stood at the opening of the kitchen. Inside his mother moved around, chopping and stirring dinner for his father.  
  
He liked neither of his parents. They were simple minded and never cared about anything except for fame and fortune. And if that meant exploiting their only living son.  
  
1…2…3. He rushed past the opening. Inside he heard a utensil clang on the floor. "Ken?" Shit! Forgetting to be quiet, he made a mad dash for the door. He ran out, slamming it behind himself hearing 'Kenneth' once more before rushing down the hall. He ducked into the stairway hall. He heard the door open and someone stepped out. "Kenneth?" With a sigh of sadness and disappointment, she went back in and he breathed out the breath he was holding in.  
  
"She sounded worried, like she wanted you back," the sickly girl in his arms stated with exertion in her voice.  
  
"They want me back, but not for reasons you may think," he objected. He stepped out of the stairway and walked down to the elevator. It was safer to take it then trying to get down the stairs with the bundle in his arms. The doors closed and he leaned against the wall.   
  
The elevator doors opened and he stepped into the lobby of the apartment building. People looked at him with confused recognition. They recognized him but there was something different about him, so they didn't say anything or call attention to him.  
  
They walked out into the street and the doorman hailed a cab. "Have a nice afternoon, sir." The man said before closing the cab door.  
  
"Where to?" The driver asked.  
  
"Kimino clinic," he directed. He sat her down in his lap and she rested her head in his chest and stared out the window. He held her hand in his.  
  
They arrived at the clinic and he paid the driver. They got out of the cab and walked into the clinic. The door of the clinic slid open and he stepped into the cold waiting room. There was a woman in a chair watching her two-year-old play with some Hot Wheels on the floor.  
  
He walked to the information desk where a woman was reading a magazine and chewing loudly on a piece of pink gum. He stood there waiting for her to acknowledge his presence. When she didn't he cleared his throat, getting the woman's attention. "What can I do for you, sugar?" She asked with a large smile on her face.  
  
"I need to see Doctor Guvin," he relied, his voice practically begging.  
  
"Alright, let me see if he's available." She got up from behind her desk and disappeared though a door. A few moments later she returned. "Go on back, sweetheart. Second door to the left."  
  
Ken nodded a thanks and walked through the door, which she closed behind him. He carried her to the room the woman had directed them to go into and walked inside. A young doctor with brown hair and pale skin stood inside, leaning over a open folder on the counter. "Guvin," he puffed.  
  
The man turned and looked at him with bright green eyes. "Ichijouji! What brings you by?"  
  
"I need some medical help, without any questions," Ken replied. He held the girl up a little higher so the doctor could see her.  
  
"Put her on the table and I'll have a look at her." Ken placed her on the table and stepped back. "Okay, I need you to go out to my secretary and tell her this girl's name so she can pull her files."  
  
"Guvin, I need this to be in total secrecy."  
  
"It will, but I need her files. What's your name, honey?" He asked as he listened to her heart.  
  
"Kari."  
  
"Okay, Kari, just relax. I'm just going to have a look at you. Can I take these sunglasses from you?" The doctor asked, setting a hand on her forehead. "Your burning up," he whispered to himself.  
  
"She can't see without them," Ken announced to him.  
  
"Alright," he nodded, green eyes grim. "Go pull those chart, Ichijouji."  
  
Ken stepped out of the room and walked out to the secretary's desk. He got a strong whiff of bubble gum as he approached. She looked up at him. "Doctor Guvin need's medical charts for Hikari Yagami."  
  
"Hikari Yagami," the secretary repeated. She turned to her computer and began to type. "Okay, let's see here."  
  
"She's not from Tomachi, will that be a problem?"  
  
"Where is she from?"  
  
"Odiaba."  
  
"That won't be a problem." She continued to type. She sat back and looked up at him. "It's printing. The printer is back in his office. The first door on your right." He nodded and walked towards the room.  
  
Soon he returned to the examination room, papers in hand. He had taken the opportunity to make copies of the papers, just in case he needed them later. The doctor stood over her, taking her blood pressure. He looked up at Ken and took the papers. He gave them a quick look over. "So this kind of thing isn't out of the ordinary," he state aloud.  
  
"What?" Ken asked as he crossed the room to Kari and took her hand.  
  
"Well, it seems your girl here as a history of being sick. Quite a weak immune system she's got. How do you know her, Ken?" He glared at the doctor. "Sorry. Forgot, no questions," the green eyes doctor apologized, backing off. He turned back to Kari. "So is he taking Kari of you?" She gave a weak nod. "Tell me if this hurts." He placed his hands on her abdomen and pressed on it lightly. She just shook her head. "Alright Kari, Ken and I are going to step out for a second. Come on Ken."  
  
"Okay," he nodded. He gave her hand a small squeeze before following the doctor out of the room.  
  
Guvin shut the door behind him. "She's incredibly sick, Ken. Now I know you want no questions, but I need to know what happened to her. And where she got those bruises. Is she abused, is that what this whole secrecy thing is about?"  
  
"Bruises, what bruises?"  
  
"On her arm and there's one on her cheek."  
  
"Oh, uh that was me. We fought and I got kinda rough," he replied as he scratched the back of his head.  
  
"What's going on with this girl, Ken?"  
  
"Will she be alright?"  
  
"I don't know Ken. I'll take some blood, run some tests. But you may have to take her to the hospital."  
  
"I can't do that."  
  
"Even if her life depended on it?" Guvin demanded. Ken didn't answer. "It doesn't matter what YOU can or can't do. If she's sick, you need to take care of her." He grabbed Ken by the front of his shirt. "And don't ever touch her again. If she has any more bruises then I'm calling social services. Got it?"  
  
"I got it," he replied, voice low in shame.  
  
"Why don't you go to the waiting room? Or go to the coffee shop across the room. I'm going to finish the examination." Guvin turned to the door, but stopped and looked over his shoulder with a small grin. "By the way, you look like hell."  
  
"Thanks," Ken muttered, but the doctor had already disappeared into the room. Ken took the doctor's advice and headed out of the clinic, to the coffee shop across the street. He got in line and fished in his pocket for some cash. Opening his hand, he found two seventy-five, a button, some lint, and her tag and crest. Oh yeah, all mighty Kaiser can't even scrape three bucks together.  
  
He got a hot chocolate and a bagel and sat down at a table in the back. His stomach grumbled in anticipation over the bagel. Damn, he was hungry! He took a bite and examined the crest in his hand.   
  
Light. It had been taken from her the second time he she had come to his hideout. When his minions had changed her out of her freezing, water soaked clothes; they had given him the personal items she carried. These included a camera, her digivice, her d-terminal, and her tag and crest.   
  
'Light, what an interesting crest. That could work in our favor…'  
  
He ignored the presence and returned to his own train of thought. Why did she make him feel this way? All of a sudden he was worried about someone other then himself. He even risked exposing himself in the real world by taking her to a doctor. Could he actually have feelings for her?  
  
Stuffing the rest of the bagel into his mouth he shook out any thoughts of liking her. He stood up and began his trek back to the clinic. He walked in, straight passed the secretary and into the examination room. The doctor wasn't in the room, but she sat on the table, legs dangling over the edge. She looked at him, face still pale and tired.  
  
"Where's Guvin?" He asked.  
  
"He said he'd be back soon," she replied. He nodded. The room filled with an uncomfortable silence. "I'm sorry Ken," she finally spoke.  
  
"Sorry? For what?" He asked, confused.  
  
"For treating you like crap. You have saved my life on more then one occasion and yet I still treated you like you were my enemy. I let my friend's black and white thinking get the better of me."  
  
"You don't have to apologize, I expected it. Sort of," he excused with a shake of his head.  
  
"Well, you shouldn't!" With the raise of her voice came a long painful cough. He set a hand on her shoulder to steady her. "I was just stuck on the thought, like you said, my friends can do no evil. They shouldn't have left me behind, but they did. That hurt, I blamed you. I'm sorry."  
  
"Its okay," he excused again.  
  
The door opened and the bright-eyed doctor walked in. "Ichijouji, your back. Good."  
  
"So what's the news, Guvin?" Ken asked.  
  
The doctor patted Kari lightly in the head. "This girl's indestructible, I'll give her that. She'll live through this. Just give her a week of bed rest and she should get better. And here." He pulled two bottles from the front pocket of his white doctor's coat. "Have her take a teaspoon of this three times a day until it runs out. Make sure she eats before hand or it will do hell to her stomach. And have her take one of these once a day. When it runs out come back for a refill."  
  
"What will these do?" Ken asked, examining the pills.  
  
"The liquid will bring down and keep down her fever. The pills will strengthen her legs again," Guvin replied. He turned back to Kari. "We'll have you walking again in no time." He looked back at Ken. "And I don't want to see anymore bruises, got it?"  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"Then go home and get her to bed."  
  
"Come on, let's go back." He picked her up and followed the Guvin to the open door. They walked into the waiting room and he stopped upon seeing a tall, blue haired teen at the front desk talking with the bubble gum scented secretary.  
  
"Joe, what brings you by?" Guvin asked as he stepped forward in front of Kari and Ken.  
  
"Hi Derrick. I was just coming home from visiting my brother and decided to stop by while I was here in Tomachi. I don't get a lot of free time to socialize as you know," the blue haired boy shook the doctor's hand.  
  
"Cool, I was just finishing up with a patient so you came by at a good time," Derrick Guvin replied, handing Kari's papers to his secretary.  
  
"What was the appointment for? Maybe I could pick up some pointers." He looked over at Ken and froze.  
  
"Pneumonia-"  
  
"YOU!" Joe yelled, his glasses starting to slide down his nose. "Kari?"  
  
"Oh no." Ken started to back up.  
  
"You know them?" Guvin asked. Without saying anything Ken took off down the hall. He ducked into Guvin's office and fumbled with the lock. He set her down in a chair in front of the desk and walked to the computer.  
  
"Looks like we'll have to set up the Digi-Port in here." She nodded.  
  
"Let me in, Ken!" Came with pounding on the door from outside. "Kari! Kari, it's going to be okay." Ken glanced up and saw Kari tense up in the chair.   
  
The Digi-Port came up on the doctor's screen. "Okay, we're outta here!" He picked her up and went back to the computer. "Digi-Port open!" In a bright flash he found himself in his control room.  
  
"Master, your back," an Apemon standing guard stated in a gruff voice.  
  
"Did anything happen while I was gone?" He demanded as he walked down the hall, expecting the Apemon to follow.  
  
And he did. "Nothing, master."  
  
"Good." He turned into the room he had kept her in before they left and laid her down. The Apemon waited in the doorway. The sound of a crash came from the control room. "Go see what that was." The Apemon left. "Probably the worm. Are you hungry? You need to take that medicine."  
  
"Yeah, I am," she replied.  
  
"Alright. I'll have DigiTamamon make some soup or-"  
  
"Master, you need to come see this." The Apemon had appeared in the doorway.  
  
"Can't you fools handle anything without me?" He snapped. "Handle it yourselves, I'm busy."  
  
"You might find this to be an emergency."  
  
"Fine, I'll come." He stood up, but stopped and glanced back at her. "I'll return in a bit." He turned and followed the Apemon out of the room and back to the control room. His eyes widened when he saw two Veggiemon restraining the blue haired DigiDestined. He retreated to the back of his mind as the anger of the presence pushed forward. "You followed me," he sneered to the taller boy. The DigiDestined looked up at him with hatred in his black eyes. "You are Reliability. That was a very stupid move on your part."  
  
"I wasn't going to let you take Kari again!" Reliability yelled back. The Veggiemon tightened their vines around him and he grimaced in pain.  
  
"And what was your plan of action to save her? Your friends aren't her and you have no digimon."  
  
"What's going on with her? Why'd you take her to the clinic?"  
  
Ken punched him in the stomach, sending him doubling over on the floor. "I'm talking." He reached into the boy's pant pocket on his cargo kakis and pulled out a digivice and D-terminal. He examined the Digivice. "Well look at that. The prehistoric version. It's a piece of junk." He threw it back at Reliability, hitting him in the chest. He held up the D-terminal. "I'll be keeping this. Wouldn't want you to contact your friends. Take him to the dungeon."  
  
He watched his minions drag the fighting teen out of the room on route to the dungeon. "Great, " he muttered to himself, irritated. "One more headache." 


	5. Just Listen

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon  
  
  
Savior  
  
  
The sound of coughing woke him up from a light sleep. He opened his eyes and let his eyes travel to the source of the coughing, the girl in the bed. He sat up straight in the chair he used to watch her at night and stretched stiffly. His back and neck screamed to go lay down in his bed so he could be comfortable, but he ignored the soreness. After the third day of sleeping like this, he was used to it.  
  
He rubbed his eyes, trying to wake up, before getting up and sitting on the edge of the bed. The way the girl slept was anything but peacefully. True the medications she was on made her tired and allowed her to sleep without coughing or fever, but by two or three in the morning they wore off and she would cough and tremble the rest of the night away. He pushed her sweat soaked bangs out of her face and set a hand on her forehead. A little warm, but not much; that was a good sign.  
  
She coughed again and he listened, silently, to her shallow labored breathing. That was not such a good sign. At least her fever was down, that was his biggest concern. She was doing a pretty good job of keeping it down; she was going to get better.  
  
"Taichi I'm not sick," she whispered. He reeled back thinking she was waking up. Wait, did she just say Taichi? She was talking in her sleep. He sat back down, still ridged in posture and leaned over to listen to her. "I want to fight!"  
  
He sat up. "I wonder what she dreams about." He asked himself.   
  
"What was that, Ken?" Wormmon lifted his head from where he lay beside the girl. Like Ken, he rarely left her side and Ken allowed him to sleep on the bed beside her. Ken also chose to ignore that the worm disrespected him by calling him Ken instead of master.  
  
"Nothing," he replied shaking his head. "Just thinking."  
  
Wormmon crawled up onto the girl's stomach and lay down again. "Okay," he mumbled before falling asleep again.  
  
Ken stood up and strode out of the room. The castle was silent and dark. Usually there was some servants loitering around, but there was no one. He pulled out his dark digivice to check the time. 5:10 in the morning. That's probably why no one was up, too damn early.  
  
With a shake of his head, which caused his sore neck to scream again, he went back to the room she was in. He tried to sit, but he was too awake to sit still. He got up and began to pace, his footstep loud in the silent room. He paused when she moved in the bed. She just moved her head and fell back to sleep. He rubbed his face with his hands; he was way too awake for five in the morning. "Wormmon," he announced. The green worm looked up. "I'm going to take a shower. Watch over her." The worm nodded. He slipped into the bathroom in the corner of the room and shut the door. He turned the water and waited for it to get hot. Soon steam rose from the shower and began to fog the mirror. He stripped and climbed in, breathing in the steam.  
  
When he finally forced himself out of the hot water, his fingers were wrinkled like raisins. His chin length ink colored hair sloshed around his face and dripped water down his back, causing him to shiver. Goose bumps ran up his skin as he wrapped a towel around himself. He dressed and opened the bathroom door, pausing when a wall of cold air hit him. He did a quick digivice check as he walked towards the bed. 7:43.  
  
"Morning." He looked up to see the girl sitting up in bed with Wormmon in her lap.  
  
"Morning. Did you sleep well?" He asked as he stood over her.  
  
"I guess. My chest hurts from coughing though." Her voice was hoarse and she sounded like she was about to lose it.  
  
"Come're." She leaned forward and he felt her for head for the second time that morning. "You're still warm, but not as much as before. It looks like you might actually beat this." He sat down at the edge of the bed.  
  
"I hope. I'm tired of being sick."  
  
"I'll send for some cough drops or something. Does your throat hurt like yesterday?" She shook her head.   
  
"Aren't you sick of me?"  
  
"What do you mean?" He asked.  
  
"Aren't you sick of taking care of me?" She clarified. "I mean I feel bad for taking up your time like this. I'm keeping you from your…work."  
  
"The way you say that sounds like this is some sort of scheme the DigiDestined cooked up to keep me from taking over the Digital World." He meant it was a joke. His foes would never put one of their own in danger like this. He could have killed her long ago. But then again, he never was very good at joking around.  
  
Her eyes widened. "No, please don't think that," she begged. "I didn't mean for it to sound like that."  
  
"I wasn't thinking that," he reassured her. There was a knock at the door. "Enter." An Apemon stepped into the room. "Yes?"  
  
"It's the prisoner, master. He refuses to eat for the third day in a row," Apemon explained.  
  
"What prisoner?" She asked.  
  
The Apemon opened his mouth to answer. "Shut up you fool!" The Kaiser cut in. The Apemon shut his mouth.  
  
"What prisoner?" She demanded.  
  
"The DigiDestined known as Reliability. He followed us through the digiport when we returned from visiting the doctor," he replied.  
  
"Joe?"  
  
"If that is his name I do not know it," he muttered, voice hardened.  
  
"I want to see him," she announced.  
  
"I don't think-"  
  
"I want to see him!" She yelled, which was followed by a long hacking cough.  
  
Turning his attention back to the Apemon, he sighed. "Bring the prisoner in here." The Apemon left.  
  
"Thank you," she whispered.  
  
"Save it," he snapped. "I will not leave the room. I don't care if either you or him objects."  
  
"That's fair," she agreed.  
  
"I'm going to call for breakfast," Wormmon announced. He climbed down from her lap and left the room.  
  
A few minutes later yelling erupted the silence that had settled between them. "Let me go!" A deep male voice raged. Soon he appeared in the doorframe with the Apemon holding his arms securely behind his back. Reliability looked up. "Kari!"  
  
"Let him go," Ken granted. Reliability glared at him and the Apemon released his arms. He charged at Ken and rammed him to the floor.  
  
"I'll kill you for what you've done!" The blue haired DigiDestined boy screamed at him as his hands wrapped around the Kaiser's neck.  
  
"Joe, stop it!" The girl begged. "Joe!"  
  
The Apemon pulled Reliability off of Ken and held him back as he fought to get out of his grip. Ken stood up calmly despite his heart about to pound straight out of his chest. "That was not smart."  
  
"Ken!" His head snapped towards the bed. It was empty. The girl was now on the floor after a futile attempt to get up. He walked over to her and lifted her up. She draped her arms loosely around his neck.  
  
"Don't touch her!" Reliability screamed. "Get away from her!"  
  
"You called me Ken," he whispered rather plainly.   
  
"I know." He set her on the bed, but she kept her arms around his neck. She hugged him closer. His heartbeat doubled in speed and the aura in his mind laughed. "Please don't hurt Joe. He's just doing what he thinks is right. Let me talk to him. Please." He stepped away from the bed and ignored the hateful glares the holder of Reliability gave him. "Joe," she called to him. He turned his gaze to her and his face softened. "Please don't do that again Joe. Don't hurt him."  
  
"But he kidnapped you. And he hurt you!" Joe yelled.  
  
"Joe, just listen. Don't hurt him, okay?" She pleaded.  
  
"Kari, you don't understand-"  
  
"No, you don't understand! Joe, please!" He stopped struggling with the Apemon. "Let him go." The Apemon hesitated and looked to his master who gave him a confirming nod. He released the blue haired DigiDestined and ran to the bed. He hugged her tightly.  
  
"Everyone's so worried about you. They feared the Kaiser wouldn't have been very merciful to you." Ken watched her face. She looked very uncomfortable in Reliabilities arms. He let go of her and looked over at Ken. "Do you think we can get a little privacy?"  
  
"I think not," Ken rejected fiercely.  
  
Reliability look back at her. "What did he do to you?"  
  
"Nothing, he took care of me," she answered softly.  
  
He looked back at her and pushed hair out of her face. He touched the frames of the glasses. "Why are you wearing these?"  
  
"I can't see without them."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"How long have I been gone?" She asked.  
  
"A month and a half. There are police going nuts along with your family. Tai's close to a nervous breakdown in worry. What happened?"  
  
"During the last battle with the Kaiser I got hurt. An attack hit me when I wasn't looking." Her rose/brown eyes jumped to the Kaiser's hard face before looking at her friend again. "I fell and the others left me." There was pain in her throaty voice as she explained. Apparently her friends leaving was still an open wound for her. "The Kaiser brought me back here and kept me for a few days before he let me go. He offered me equipment to get to the DigiPort, but I was too hardheaded to take it. I got sick. He brought me back and took care of me."  
  
"Is that why you were at the Guvin's office?" She nodded. "That's not what TK and he others told us. They said that the Kaiser kidnapped you."  
  
"They lied," she shrugged.  
  
"So what's going on? You can't see without these glasses. You have a cough. Anything else?"  
  
"I've been trying to break a fever since I came here the second time. And I can't walk."  
  
"You can't walk?"  
  
"No. I have no feeling in the lower half of my body," she sighed.  
  
"And he did none of this to you?" He whispered. She shook her head. "Don't worry. I'll get you out of here."  
  
"I think that's enough," Kaiser announced. "Apemon." Apemon stepped forward and grabbed Reliability.   
  
"Let me go!" He yelled.  
  
"Joe, don't fight, please," she pleaded. He stopped and submitted to the yellow ape that dragged him out of the room. "And Joe," she called. The Apemon stopped and he looked at her. "Please eat." Then he was gone. She looked to the Kaiser. "That was it?!" She yelled. "That was all the time you'd let me have with him?! Why?"  
  
"Calm down or you'll make yourself sick," he said quietly.  
  
"I am sick so it doesn't matter! He's my friend, it would have been nice to speak to him!"  
  
"Need I remind you this is still my home? You are still technically my captive."  
  
"Do I have to remind you that I edited the story I gave to him for your benefit? I helped you out and tried to make you sound like a good person. That was bullshit, Kaiser!"  
  
He was shocked on two levels, and it showed on his face. First it was surprising to hear her cuss. She seemed too innocent to cuss. And second it was the use of name she chose. Five minutes ago she had over stepped all his authority and called him 'Ken'. Now she was calling him Kaiser.  
  
"Well, Light, thank you. But I don't need you covering for me with your friends. They have their opinions and I'm not afraid of hatred or anger."  
  
"Don't call me that," she snapped.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Light. Don't call me Light. It's just degrading. I have a name."  
  
"I realize that. But that's a little too close for my taste. So just stick to calling me Kaiser and I'll stick to Light," he reasoned.  
  
"I disagree with you, Ken," she replied. A triumphant smile played on her face.  
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It took two Red Veggiemon to control Reliability when he was at full strength. The Kaiser stood before him, warily watching his struggle. He looked up at the Kaiser. "What? Don't trust to have your minions let me go?"  
  
"Not with out that girl around," he smirked. Reliability smirked. "So, you wanted to see me?"  
  
"Yeah. What did you do? Brainwash her? Because everything Kari told me yesterday was a lie! TK would never leave her and neither would the others," he yelled. The Veggiemon struggled to hold him back.  
  
"Let him go," he ordered. Reliability was caught off guard when the Veggiemon released their vine and he fell to the floor.  
  
He pushed himself off the floor and rubbed his arms where the Veggiemon had nearly cut off all circulation. "You let me go. Do you trust me?"  
  
"No. First of all, I didn't do anything to the girl-"  
  
"Kari."  
  
"Whatever. I didn't kidnap her nor did I hold her here against her will. She had every opportunity to leave, but she chose to stay. Probably due to your friends disloyalty to her." Ken smirked at the grimace that appeared on the DigiDestined boy's face. He got serious again. "The girl wants to stay here and until she decides to leave, I will abide by her decision. So here's the deal. Despite the lack of faith that you have, I will let you live. But I'm not letting you go home. Not as long as she stays."  
  
"I wouldn't leave her alone with you," the older boy snapped.  
  
"You care for her very much," Ken stated off-hand.  
  
"And you enjoy laughing at the pain of others!"  
  
"I'm not laughing at your pain. I find it intriguing. As I was saying, you care for her very much. I could use this to my advantage. I want you to start caring for her, as a doctor would. That would save us trips to the real world. That's exposure neither of us need." He pulled some folded papers from his pocket. "There's are some of her medical papers I copied from Guvin's office."  
  
The blue haired boy took the papers and his black eyes skimmed them. "Frost bite, near fatal fever, a cold, burns. There are so many. Can you explain why she has them?"  
  
"The frost bite, cold and fever were from the snow. It went untreated for a long time. The burns were from the attacks that hit her. There marks are just scars now. She's on medication for the fever. And its pretty much gone. But she has developed a cough."  
  
"Yeah, that's always been there. She developed it when she was little and it comes and goes as it pleases. She's on medication for it back home. That's why its come back. You'll need to get her prescription if she stays here longer."  
  
"She's just one big sick, isn't she?" Reliability looked like he wanted to laugh, but his face stayed straight. "So do you accept? Would you like the opportunity to play doctor?" He nodded eagerly. "Alright. Every three days you will have two hours with her."  
  
"How generous."  
  
"How sarcastic."  
  
"No, I'm serious. Thank you." He folded the papers and slipped them into his pocket. "I'll be keeping these. When can I see her?"  
  
"Tomorrow." He looked to the Red Veggiemon. "Take him away." With that Reliability was dragged out of the room. "Wormmon." The green worm appeared. "I had the prisoner to a room. Make sure a guard is posted and the doors are locked."  
  
"Yes Master."  
  
"I don't want to be bothered for the rest of the night."  
  
"Yes Master."   
  
With that he turned and waked out of the room. He walked down the long hall and stopped at a door near his own. He knocked. "Come in," rang out. He stepped inside. She was sitting up in bed with a baby digimon in her lap. The baby digimon looked up at him and started to shake in fear. She picked it up and hugged it. "Its okay, he won't hurt you. I won't let him." She looked up at him. "See the fear you cause others."  
  
He approached the bed. "I don't care, seeing them shaking in fear is a nice little pleasure." He grabbed her chin and lifted her face to meet his eyes. "It's a compliance you have yet to learn." She pulled away. He snatched the baby digimon out of her arms and held it up by one ear, examining it as it shook and twisted in his grip. "Where's his black ring?"  
  
"Let him go!" She yelled trying to grab the black digimon from his hands. He held it above her head out of her reach. "Stop that! Let him go!" With a shrug he let the digimon go and he fell safely into her arms.  
  
"My question still stands, where is his black ring?"  
  
She hugged the digimon tightly. "Because of the constant darkness this digimon dedigivolved to his fresh form." She looked down at the digimon again. "You really are evil."  
  
"So why didn't you tell me you're on medication to control your cough?" He asked without warning.  
  
She made a face. "So you found out? Joe told you, did he?"  
  
"Yeah. Mind telling me why you didn't tell me?" He asked.  
  
"You don't know everything about me and I figured it was a need to know basis."  
  
"It was a need to know basis. I've been worrying about your health for over a month, but you hide your sickness and refuse help. I can only imagine what its doing to your system. It'll probably end up killing you."  
  
She grinned. "Is the great Ken Ichijouji actually worried about someone other then himself?" She laughed.  
  
"I won't do it again," he replied impassively.  
  
"Did you ever learn how to laugh or smile? And a sneer doesn't count as a smile."  
  
"Then I suppose I haven't."  
  
She rolled her eyes then pushed the glasses up onto her face. "These are too big for me."  
  
He sat down on the bed and landed back against one of the bed posts as he looked at her. She stared into his blue eyes. "So looks like I'll have to get me hands on that prescription of yours."  
  
"Looks like it," she shrugged as she looked down at the fresh digimon in her lap. He had fallen asleep.  
  
"You don't take your health very seriously."  
  
"No I don't," she admitted. "I don't care. I have had so much crap happened to me and disable me, its ridiculous." As she talked his eyes watched her lips. "I've stopped caring! This whole sickness is just was the last straw and-"  
  
He leaned over and silenced her with a kiss. After a few seconds he pulled back. "Maybe you should start caring." With that he pushed himself off the bed and out of the room.  
  
  
Well, this chapter was...interesting. What did you think? The whole kiss scene, I know, it was major crap. Sorry. But the rests of the chapter I liked, I hope you did to. Please review thanks! 


	6. Mine

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon  
  
  
Savior  
  
  
  
She didn't look angry when he walked into the library. It was odd, that's what he had been ready for. He was ready for a fight, but she didn't look like she wanted to give one.  
  
He walked in, looking casual. She was curled up on the couch with one of the thousands of books he had piled into the shelves. She looked absorbed in the book, not even noticing him watching her from the top of balcony entrance over the library.   
  
He descended the stairs and the Apemon that stood watch over her by the window, looked up at him. She still didn't look up. "Good book?" He asked, voice cool and calm. He tipped the book down to read the cover. "Shattered Mirror? I never thought you'd be one to read this type of book. Witches and vampires and all of that evil stuff just doesn't seem like something you'd be partial to."  
  
She looked up at him, rose and brown eyes sparkling. "Well that's one more thing you don't know about me. I actually love this author, but I didn't know they released this in Japan yet."  
  
"They haven't."  
  
She set the book down and he looked at the cover. It was a picture of two faces, both identical boys. They were images in a smashed mirror. "Besides, you must not have read this book. Because it isn't based on evil. The end mainly shows that you have to get to know something before you make a desion on whether something is evil or good."  
  
"Maybe you should show that to your friends."  
  
"I think they have good reason to believe your evil," she responded in her friend's defense.  
  
He picked up the book and flipped through it, glancing over each page. "What did you really want me for because our verbal sparing could start now and not end till tomorrow."  
  
"You know what its about."   
  
He briefly met her eyes before looking at the book. "Yeah so?"  
  
"I just want to tell you I understand."  
  
"Understand what?"  
  
She down cast her eyes and pushed hair from her face. "I know it didn't mean anything to you." His breathe caught in his throat. "I figured out that it was just some weird possession thing that you did. You-you didn't have me fooled for a second." She stumbled on her words like she was having trouble getting it out or because she didn't want to believe it.  
  
'No! No! That's not it at all!' He objected. He meant for it to be voiced, but the presence had taken control.  
  
'This wasn't what you planned, but she had set herself up. Might as well have some fun,' the presence replied. His body forced a smirked. "Smart girl. But by the way you were kissing me back, I'd say I had you fooled the entire time." A look of pain crossed her face, but it was only a second before she clamped down on it and it disappeared. But he caught it and his eyes flashed with amusement.  
  
"I-I-"  
  
He leaned over, putting one hand the side of her face and pressing his mouth against her ear. "Don't worry, I already proved your mine," he whispered. He breathed in the scent of her hair before kissing her neck. She whimpered and he pulled away. She had her eyes downcast and he used his index finger to lift her chin. "I think I may enjoy you as mine."  
  
"Please just stop," she whispered, jerking her head away from his hand.  
  
He stepped back and flipped through the book. He found a page and handed it to her. "Well, I suppose I could have done this if I really wanted to get my point across." 'Stop it! Just stop it!' He screamed inside his mind. But he had lost control, the aura wouldn't listen.  
  
She read down the page and shuddered. The scene was a vampire boy was carving his name into the arm of his victim. "Why are you acting like this?"  
  
"Technically this is my true nature. For the last month you have been sick and I went out of my normal nature to take care of you. But now that you are well I can return to my regular nature. You are my prisoner; I am your enemy. I think I enjoy this relationship with you more." He lifted her chin and crushed his lips onto hers. He pulled away about an inch from her face. "Much more." 'No,' he cried.  
  
He slipped something into her hand and pulled away. He walked off and she found her cough prescription in her hand.  
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Kari stared down at her hands in her lap, oblivious to Joe's ranting about a future escape. Her mind ran a million miles an hour trying to decipher between pain, regret, and worst of all the difference between love and hate. She silently chided herself for being an idiot.  
  
Because unfortunately she had fallen for the Digimon Kaiser.  
  
She didn't know what to do. She had fallen for her enemy, the boy who had proved repeatedly that he was heartless and merciless. But then again he was also sweet and caring at times. Damn he had her confused.  
  
"Just get closer to Ken. He could be our way out," Joe suggested.   
  
How could he be like this? One minute he's taking care of her. Then the next he has her claimed as his own.   
  
"Kari, are you listening to me?"  
  
What would happen if Joe found out? If any of her friends found out.   
  
"Kari!"  
  
She looked up. "Huh?"  
  
"Kari, you haven't been listening to a thing I've said. What's going on with you?"  
  
"Nothing. I'm tired, Joe."  
  
He sighed and stood up. "I'm going to go back to my own room. You should get some rest." He set a hand on the side of her face causing her to flinch back. He frowned at her. "Kari, no matter how you try to defend him, he did something to you!" He knocked on the door and the Apemon guard led him away.  
  
"You aren't going to tell Ken what Joe is planning, are you?" Kari asked to the still room after Joe had left.  
  
Wormmon crawled out of his hiding spot in the corner. "No," the green worm responded. He crawled over and she lifted him up. "I won't tell him. Truthfully I don't believe you two have a chance."  
  
"Thank you," she whispered.  
  
"I should probably leave you, since you said you were tired," Wormmon said politely as he settled into Kari's lap. Apparently he really didn't want to go.  
  
"It okay Wormmon, you can stay. I just told Joe that because, like he said, I wasn't listening to a word he said. I really couldn't concentrate on an escape." She patted his head softly.  
  
"I'm glad," he said, voice hushed. "Because I'm afraid that if Ken heard you, he'd hurt you and your friend."  
  
"Would he really hurt us? Would he kill us?" Kari asked, afraid of the answer.  
  
"Ken wouldn't, but I'm afraid the Kaiser would. He'll hurt you or worse."  
  
"Aren't they the same person?" She objected.  
  
"No," Wormmon shook his head sadly. "Ken and the Kaiser are two different people."  
  
"How's that possible?" She asked.  
  
The doors suddenly slammed open and the Kaiser stormed into the room. "I'll tell you later." She nodded in response.  
  
The Kaiser, dressed in full Kaiser attire, approached the bed. He glared at Wormmon with the same amount of disgust he gave the DigiDestined whenever they fought. "You were supposed to stay hidden, you useless worm!" He raised his glove hand and Wormmon flinched back.   
  
As he brought it down Kari caught it. "Don't Ken! Don't hurt him!" She yelled.  
  
He wrenched his hand away and grabbed the front of her nightshirt. With his other hand he seized her face so she was looking straight at him. A few seconds passed, but he just stood there, eyes closed, and a grimace overtaking his features. His grip on her face tightened and his head twitched slightly. Finally he opened his eyes as his breathing got slow and heavy. He stared into her rose brown eyes and he could feel her quiver in his hand. "Don't get in my way again," he ordered before releasing her. After a weak nod she rubbed her cheek where he had been digging his finger nails into her face and pushed the glasses up to the bridge of her nose. "I'm sorry," he whispered just loud enough to be heard. "So I heard you got up and walked yesterday," he said after a moment of silence.   
  
"Yeah, only for a bit," she explained. "After about fifteen minutes my legs got tired and I had to sit."  
  
He presented her with a package wrapped in brown paper. "These are some new clothes for you. Your friend Joe gave me your size. Get dressed, you and I will be leaving soon." He turned and walked out of the room.  
  
"Thank you for protecting me, but you shouldn't do it," Wormmon said shamefully. "Let me protect you. I'm not supposed to leave you alone so I'll wait in the bathroom." He scurried off to the bathroom.  
  
Unenthusiastically she tore into the package. Two outfits sat neatly folded in her lap. One was a maroon skirt and white button up shirt. The other was a pair of blue jeans and a pink tee shirt. She pulled on the jeans and shirt.  
  
There was a pounding knock on the door. "Are you done yet?" Came the fierce voice of the Kaiser.  
  
"Wormmon, you should get out here." Wormmon crawled back into the room, but stayed by the bathroom door. "I'm ready," she called and sat down on the edge of the bed.  
  
The Kaiser entered the room and he handed her a pair of shoes. "Here, put these on."  
  
She took them and slipped them onto her feet. "Where are we going?"  
  
"Your friends have entered the Digital World. I have to teach them a lesson." He leaned against the wall as he spoke, arms crossed, looking away from her.  
  
"Are you going to hurt them?"  
  
He looked at her with clear violet eyes and a black expression on her face. "We'll see." He pushed himself off the wall and approached her. "Gimme your wrist." Hesitantly she held out her arm and he took her hand into his. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a dark black spiral. Distress lit up her eyes and she struggled to pull her hand from his. "Stop!" He ordered. "Its not activated! Its not activated!" His grip on her wrist only tightened. "Calm down."  
  
"Please don't put that thing on me!" She begged as she continued to put up a struggle. There was fear in her voice as well as her eyes.  
  
He set the spiral down and set a hand on the side of her face. "Calm down. This spiral is not activated. It will not be activated while on your wrist." He leaned over placing his mouth beside her ear. "I promise you. Will you listen to me?" She allowed her arm to go limp in his hand in response. He picked up the spiral and slipped it onto her arm.  
  
"What's this for?" She asked. Ken released her arm and she tugged at the spiral, testing the sturdiness.  
  
"Its for when we face your friends, they will believe that you are under my control. That is why when they call to you; you will not appear to hear them. You will stay by my side, no matter what. Understood?"  
  
She swallowed hard and nodded. "Wh-why do I have to come? I'm just a liability."  
  
He smirked and pulled her to her feet. "Scared?" His voice dripped with condescension. "Afraid of seeing your brother? Your friends?" He began to circle her, inspecting show she looked. "Does it scare you that every minute you spend with me, your enemy, is voluntary? Do you feel guilt? Does it make you feel like a traitor?"  
  
"Stop it!" She whimpered on the verge of tears.  
  
"I am bringing you because you were my original bargaining tool. When you originally came into my supervision your brother assumed I was holding you captive, which you know is not true." He stared at her with his crystal clear violet eyes and she could feel them burn the skin they stared at. "He wanted demands, I gave them. I thought might as well make a use out of you. He and the other Digi-Doofuses were supposed to stay out of the Digital World to ensure your safety. They didn't follow my rules, they need to learn what happens when they cross me." He ran one gloved finger down the side of her face, eliciting a shiver from her and another whimper from her lips. "But that leaves me with a decision. Hurt them or hurt you? Shall I bring the whip?" He grabbed her forearm forcefully and dragged her from the room.  
  
He dragged her through his fortress and into the computer/throne room. "Where-" she started.  
  
He hit a button on the mid air keyboard. "They're in the forest, where you found your digi-egg." A screen popped up in the air. On the screen were her friends. Tai, Matt, Sora, Izzy, Mimi, TK, Davis, Yolie, and Cody. "Good, all my troops have moved into position."  
  
"Troops?"  
  
"Back up," he grunted as he held up his dark black and gray Digivice.  
  
"Oh looks who's scared of the DigiDestined-" A sudden change of scenery cut her off. "-now."  
  
They stood in the forest and Kari recognized it to be, like Ken said, near where she found her Digi-egg. The forest was humid and hot and the buzzing of bugs echoed in the forest.  
  
"Listen," he spoke up, catching her attention. "I don't fear your friends. But if they were to attack, I don't want to be caught off guard." He stuck two fingers in his mouth and a shrill whistle shattered the forest calm. He looked at her once more. "The winning side in a war is the one prepared for anything."  
  
Suddenly a Garurumon came bounding out of nowhere. "Garurumon!" She exclaimed. Then she saw the black spiral around his front leg. "You didn't!" She gasped as she looked at the Kaiser.  
  
"As much as I would like to get your friend's Garurumon, it is not him." He picked her up and lifted her onto the Garurumon. "I wouldn't want your legs giving out while we're out here." He began to walk away and the Garurmon followed with Kari clutching to his fur. The walk was short and soon voices came into hearing range. It was Izzy. He stopped. "They're just beyond these trees." He helped her down. "Do you remember what I want you to do?"  
  
She nodded. "Just stay beside you and don't do anything."  
  
"And if they call to you?" He challenged, suspicious of her.  
  
"You don't have to work. I won't forsake you. You still have Joe."  
  
"And if they call to you?" He repeated.  
  
"I have to appear not to hear them."  
  
"Good girl," he applauded. He reached out and pulled his glasses of her face. The definite shapes of the forest disappeared into a sea of color and blur.  
  
"I still can't see," she whispered panicked.  
  
"I will lead you. But they would find it off, I'm sure, if you were wearing my glasses."  
  
"But I still can't see. What if you fight? I won't know what's going on."  
  
She felt hands cup her face. "Don't worry. Nothing will happen to you." His hand took hers and helped her through the bushes. The voices were suddenly cut short.  
  
"Kaiser!" Someone screamed. It was Matt.  
  
"Kari!" It was Tai.  
  
God she wished she could see his face.  
  
"Give her back, Kaiser!" Matt screamed, voice hard.  
  
"Where's Joe?" It was Mimi. "We know you took him. Give both him and Kari back."  
  
"I don't believe you fools are in the position to make demands. You violated the agreement we had. I agreed your friend here would not be harmed as long as you stayed out of the Digital World." She could only assume he was pointing at her.   
  
"You took Joe! We're not going to just sit back and watch as you pick off our teammates!" TK's voice was hoarse, but just as strong as before.  
  
"I am not 'picking off' your teammates," the Kaiser snapped. "Reliability was the first to violate the agreement. I merely acted as any enemy would. He is a prisoner of war. And if I would remember correctly I didn't capture Kari, you left her behind. You were the one's that deserted her!"  
  
"Liar," TK growled.  
  
Kari felt her blood boil. How could he deny what he and the others did? Were they even remorseful?   
  
"Kari!" Tai screamed. "Kari, why won't you look at me?"  
  
"Oh she can't hear you." She felt a hand lift up her arm with the spiral. "She's under my control."  
  
"Kari! No!" Tai yelled.  
  
Now she knew why the Kaiser didn't trust her. This was getting very hard to deal with.  
  
"You have two choices. Leave now or suffer the consequences," he warned.  
  
"Not without Kari," Matt screamed.  
  
"Your choice."  
  
The ground rumbled and noise echoed through the once silent air. It was a roar of Dark Tyranamon. The buzzing of Flymon. And a rumbling from the ground of a digimon she couldn't recognize.  
  
"We're surrounded!" Yolie yelled panicked. "We can't handle all of them."  
  
Kari felt Ken move up closer to her and his hand fall around her waist. "Don't worry your pretty little head," he whispered. "Four Tyranamon, four Flymon and two Monocromon. I play by the rules. There are no control spires. All of the digimon can digivolve."  
  
"You call that fair?" She whispered.  
  
She winces when she felt his hand grab her side. "What did I tell you about speaking? Its ten on ten, that's fair. Remember your place," he warned. His hand on her side and he stepped away from her.  
  
Explosions and yelling rose to her ears. The smell of fires and unearthed dirt filled her nose. Smoke filled the air. The smells caused her stomach to turn.  
  
Beside her she could hear Ken cackling. He was obviously enjoying this spectacle. Suddenly someone grabbed her from behind, clamping a hand over her mouth, and dragged her away from where she was standing. She tried to scream, but the hand prevented her from anything, but a few muffled murmurs. Suddenly she was on the ground; hand still firm on her mouth. The body sat on her and she struggled blindly.  
  
"Kari, its Tai. It's Tai! Stop!" The voice yelled at her. He took both wrists into one hand and held them above her head. He began to pry the dark spiral off her wrist and she stopped struggling. "I'm going to get this off you and I'll take you home," he whispered. "Everything will be okay."  
  
With a sudden cry of pain the body rolled off of her. "What do you think your doing?" The voice of the Kaiser exploded in her ears. A hand wrenched her off the ground. Another grabbed her face roughly and she made out the rose color of the Kaiser's glasses. "You stand there and don't move!" The hands released her and the rose color disappeared from her eyes sight. "That was a wrong move, Courage! You brought your friends here after we had an agreement. Your sister's life was on the line!" Another cry of pain rose from her brother. "You cannot win against me!" Another cry. "Your only destroying your friends lives by leading them here!" Another cry.   
  
He continued to yell until Kari's ears burned. Following the Kaiser's voice, she threw herself at him. "Stop it! Don't hurt him!"   
  
A slap to the face sent her reeling back and then a shrill whistle echoed in her ears. A large animal came bounding up and someone, she assumed was the Kaiser, lifted her up onto the beast. She felt the soft fur of Garurumon underneath her. "Take her home," The Kaiser ordered. The digimon jerked forward and took off.  
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She lay on her bed with her eyes closed. Inside her stomach was doing flips and her head throbbed uncontrollably. The battle rang in her ears, along with the cries of pain from her brother and the panicked screams of her friends. They replayed over and over again until she couldn't control it and tears ran down her cheeks.  
  
The door to her room opened and slammed shut. Footsteps resonated through the room as the being stormed towards the bed. A hand wrenched her violently to her feet. "I warned you! I told you what you were to do!" The Kaiser screamed at her.  
  
"I'm sorry," she apologized. "But you were hurting my brother and I had to stop you. I'm sorry."  
  
He slapped her, sending her to the floor. "I warned you!"  
  
She lay on the floor, sobbing and choking on her tears. Her stomach turned again and she felt bile rise in her throat. "You were hurting him! I couldn't let you hurt him!" She argued.  
  
Her head pounded louder and her stomach ached unbearably. Her ears burned. A hand slapped her again and left her cheeks burning.  
  
"Quit crying, you'll make yourself sick," he ordered calmly. "Quit it or I'll hit you again!" She continued to sob, unable to make herself quit whether it be from the headache, stomachache, or the screams in her ears. With another choking sob she felt her stomach heave and she vomited. "I warned you," he whispered.  
  
She felt him lift her up and carry her off to the bed. She continued to cry and choke in his arms as he sat down with her in his lap. He rocked her back and forth. "Its okay, just calm down," he whispered.  
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I liked this chapter, a lot! This is a very large change in story line, I know. Please review. 


	7. Disappointment

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon  
  
  
Savior  
  
  
She felt nothing...she couldn't think on her own...and all she could see was him. 'Maybe this is what it feels like to be under the power of a The Dark Ring...'  
  
The room spun and her head pounded in her ear as she returned to consciousness. She clenched her eyes shut, knowing that if she opened them it would be the same blurry mess as last night. Although she only vaguely remembered last night.  
  
A wet compress was laid upon her forehead and she let a grumble of a groan. "And you return to the land of the living once more."  
  
She touched the compress lightly. "What happened?" She forced, squeezing her eyes shut.  
  
"Well, you got sick last night, very badly I might add. Then you fell asleep," the monotone voice of the Kaiser answered.  
  
"Oh," she answered.  
  
"Sit up, you need to eat."  
  
"No way! I feel like hell!" She snapped.  
  
"If you eat, you'll feel better. Trust me." His voice softened. Reluctantly she sat up and he slipped glasses onto her face. She opened her eyes, head still pounding in her ears and waited until her vision cleared. The Kaiser sat on the bed, dressed in normal human clothes, holding a white mug in his hands. "Here," he held it out to her.  
  
She took the mug and it warmed her freezing hands. She sipped it, sending hot liquid down her throat. All it was was broth, probably not a good idea to have anything solid after last night. She lipped her lips. "Thanks."  
  
"No problem. Feeling better?" He asked.   
  
Strangely she did. "What did you put in here?" She asked looking at the dark red liquid.  
  
"Herbs and stuff from the digital world," he shrugged. He stood up. "Rest up, there's no telling when I may need you again." He got up to leave.  
  
"Ken," she called. He stopped and physically cringed before looking over his shoulder at her. "Can I ask you something?" He nodded. "What's it like to be under the control of a dark spiral?"  
  
He looked startled "Why do you ask?"  
  
"I just wanna know."  
  
"I don't know. I've never been under the slave end of it before," he shrugged. "You can find out first hand." He gestured to the spiral on her wrist.   
  
'He left it on,' she thought. "Okay," she replied.  
  
"What?! You want me to activate it?" He shouted shocked. "What happened to the freak out you had yesterday?"  
  
"I just wanna know!"  
  
"Fine," he shrugged in defeat. He pulled out his digi-vice and held it up to her wrist. "Spiral activate," he said unenthusiastically, almost bored.  
  
At first nothing happened, she just stood there. Then everything in her body shut down and she felt herself crumple to the floor. Her legs gave out, her eyes showed dark and her mouth went slack. She had no control over her arms or legs. She just felt numb.  
  
"Get up slave!" The sound of the Kaiser was fire in her ears. Slowly everything in her came back to life. She felt her body rise to her feet. Her mind burned in pain. Her eyes open, everything was tinted in red.   
  
'Why is everything red?' She tried to ask. Her mouth would open.  
  
"Come here," the Kaiser barked. Again there was fire in her ears. Her body walked forward.  
  
'It hurts,' she thought. 'It hurts so much.' Her entire body ached and shook.   
  
The Kaiser's face showed confusion, but he quickly covered it up with a smirk. He ripped her shirt and she just sat there in the back of her own mind, mortified. He shook his head. "I could have so much fun with you." He leaned in and kissed her, forcing his tongue into her mouth. "Kiss me," he ordered. And she did. The pain intensified. Her hands wrapped around his neck as their mouth's locked and tongues explored each other's mouths. 'Just make it stop,' she begged. The feeling of a weird lump on his neck cut off her thoughts. 'What in the hell?' Her hand ran over the very large lump protruding from his neck. He pulled away. "You will stand here and not move until I return."  
  
'No. God no!' She begged. 'It hurts, please just make it stop.' But he was gone.  
  
When he returned it felt like hours had gone by. Her body shook so bad it looked like she could be having convulsions. The fire in her mind was so intense she couldn't think. He stared at her with crystal indigo eyes that gave a look of concern. He held up his digi-vice. "Spiral deactivate." The force that had been in control left her body. Her legs crumpled under her as the fire only amplified in her mind. "That's what its like," he mumbled before she passed out.  
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She woke up with her head throbbing. Her body ached. She forced herself to sit up. "Wormmon," she called. "Are you in here?"  
  
Wormmon crawled out from the shadows. "What is it, Kari?"  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"You passed out. Ken activated that dark spiral and you couldn't take it or something and you passed out." She rubbed her head trying to remember what he was talking about. "Are you okay?"  
  
Kari forced a grin and lifted the small Digimon onto the bed. "Yeah, I'm fine, but I want to finish our conversation from yesterday. You need to tell me everything."  
  
He nodded. "I can do that. But you can't tell Ken you know because he'll be mad and he'll…"  
  
"I understand Wormmon. Ken won't know."  
  
"Good," he replied matter-of-factly. "Do you know what a dark spore is?" She shook her head. "Well you've been to the dark world, right?" She nodded. "Well there's this place by the dark ocean, where the water is the darkest ever. That's where the spores are made. Dark spores are black orbs of dark energy. They made from- well actually I don't know what they're made from. Ken was infected by one of these orbs."  
  
"He was infected by one? How?"  
  
"Well, it was the day of his brother's funeral and-"  
  
"He had a brother?" Kari interrupted. Wormmon nodded. "How horrible. I'm not sure what I'd do if I lost Tai."  
  
"Ken was heartbroken. So he came to the Digital World to try and forget his problems or something like that, but he was transported to the dark ocean instead. For the longest time he just sat there and cried." She got a 'yeah right' look on her face. "He was young, like maybe eight so you really can't blame him. But then one of the dark spores hit him in the back of the neck. There had been a bunch flying around, just floating in the air. And he just stood up and walked into the ocean. I kept calling to him, but he didn't listen. Then he stuck his digi-vice in the water and it turned dark."  
  
"So he wasn't always evil?" Wormmon sadly shook his head. "So what are the dark spores made of? What do they do?"  
  
"They feed off dark energy that lies inside people. It brings out dark emotions that people usually don't show and turns them evil. It gives them a dark personal. Dark rings and spirals are made out of them." Wormmon looked at her with sad eyes. "Ken is in there somewhere, he just can't get out. But you see him sometimes, especially with you. Maybe you can help him."  
  
"Yeah, maybe," she replied. "I'll try Wormmon, I will.   
  
"WORMMON!" The Kaiser screamed from outside the room.  
  
Wormmon tensed in her lap. "Do you think he heard us?" She asked.  
  
"I doubt it. Otherwise he would have charged in by now." Wormmon looked towards the door. "I better go. But Kari, be wary of him. I don't know what he's completely capable of. And as long as he has that spiral on your wrist, you're his." She watched him crawl off her lap and out the door. Then her eyes fixated on the black spiral around her small wrist.  
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"Ken?" She asked from her seat on the couch in the library. He stood at the foot of the stairs, staring at her. "What's wrong?"  
  
He held up a piece of paper and mumbled, "This came for you."  
  
"What is it?" He walked up to the bed and handed it to her.  
  
"It's a note from Guvin."  
  
"Guvin?" She frowned, thinking about to being sick. Not a fun time, to say the least. She took the paper and read the note.  
  
'Dear Ken, how have you been?' It read. 'Actually I really don't care, how's Kari? You better be taking care of her. I got some results after reviewing Kari's file and blood work, and it's not good. There had been a lot of damage to the strength in her legs and to her eyes. Permanent damage,' she pushed the glasses up onto the bridge of her nose again. 'She may never be able to see without those "miracle glasses" of yours. Nor will she ever have the ability to walk much. Like you said in the update email you sent me, she can't walk far or much. That'll be how it will for her for the rest of her life. There's nothing that can be done. I'm sorry. If you bring her by, I'll talk to her. I'd like to give her a second examination, check how she is doing. Let me know, Ichijoji. Guvin.'  
  
She crumpled the sheet in her hand and tossed it away. "This didn't come for me, this came for you." Her tone was dark. "You know, I really don't feel like reading anymore. I'm gonna head back to my room." She stood up.  
  
"Kari," he said, blocking the stairs. She glared at him and tried to push past him. His own anger and pride swelled up inside of his chest like a knot. He pushed her back and she fell back to the floor. "You will stop right there, Light!" The Kaiser inside him didn't like being ignored. She stared up at him, embarrassment and fear in her eyes. "Why in the hell are you acting this way? Why are you so passive?"  
  
"Because I really don't care."  
  
"Bull shit. Your in so much pain over this your eyes have clouded over and you can't do anything but feel mad."  
  
"What do you know?" She snapped.  
  
"Why do you keep me around? I'm weak! I thought you couldn't stand people who are weak. You loathe weakness. That's what I am!" She yelled. Tears formed in her eyes. "I can't do this anymore. It wasn't supposed to get worse!"  
  
"What?" He was thrown by the sudden emotion in her voice. "What wasn't supposed to get worse?"  
  
"I wasn't supposed to be sick anymore." He shook his head, not understanding her. "I've always been sick and scrawny and useless. I can't do that anymore! I can't not fight! I'm tired of being left out! I'm tired," her voice got soft, "of being a disappointment."  
  
The presence crept back at full force. 'This could be interesting.' It took over his mouth, "Who are you a disappointment to? Why?"  
  
She closed her eyes. "My brother. My friends. My parents. I'm always sick! I'm always in the hospital! I'm always in some sort of trouble where I need to be bailed out. TK saved me from the dark ocean. My brother carried me and got me medicine where I got sick in the Digital World." She paused. "You saved me when I fell in the grass that day."  
  
He stared up at her. "That's why you stayed when I gave you the choice to leave."  
  
"What?"  
  
"When I gave you the chance to leave, you stayed because you didn't want to face your brother. Or your friends. You were sick of being their burden, so you stayed," he explained, despite her knowing exactly what he was saying.  
  
"Ken-"  
  
"You don't have to explain. I was wondering why you stayed," he shrugged.  
  
'Don't ruin this. Don't say anything,' the Kaiser in his head ordered. 'She will go to the dark ocean by dwelling on this. The sooner the better, so let her, you fool!'  
  
He closed his eyes. "I can't," he replied in a whisper.  
  
'LET HER! Do as I say!'  
  
"Ken? Did you say something?" She asked her voice filled with hope.  
  
"No," he responded shortly.  
  
"Go back to your room. I'll tell Guvin you'll be seeing him in a couple days."  
  
"But Ken-"  
  
"Do as I say," he screamed in rage, quoting the Kaiser. "Go to bed, get some rest. I'll see you in the morning." She walked to the stairs and only briefly looked back. "GO!" She quickly twisted around and darted up the stairs.  
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She didn't know how she got there. She didn't know why she was there. But she was. The dark world had pulled her to it, as usually. And this time there was no TK.  
  
She wandered down the barren, gray beach with her tin arms wrapped around herself. The salt wind whipped at her face and wet sand clung to her shoes.  
  
'Maybe I'll just stay here forever,' she thought. 'I'll be free of the Kaiser. I'll be safe from disappointment. I'll be on my own.' The ocean darkened as she thought, but she took no notice. 'I'll just stay here forever.'  
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He watched her from the rocks above. She was getting very close to the spot. A smirked crossed his pale face, induced by the Kaiser inside, as sand hit his face from the wind. 'Go back,' he wanted to scream.  
  
'Shut up!' The Kaiser ordered. 'She'll be like me soon. Superior in every way. Intelligent. Maybe she'll be mean and nasty. Then she could be worthy of my standards.'  
  
His eyes shifted to a meter or so in the distance. There it was. There they were. The dark spores, the beautiful orbs of dark energy. They flew through the air waiting for a victim. A digimon stupid enough to cross its path.  
  
She wasn't paying attention. 'Perfect.' He continued to follow her from his perch high on the rocks. She stared at her feet until she was smack dab in the middle of the orbs. She looked up and distress filled her eyes. The orbs circle her, dove at her. She jumped and dodged, but she was slower. And one large black orb sunk into the back of her neck. She screamed.  
  
'Everything is going my way…'  
  
Inside he sobbed behind the Kaiser.  
  
  
  
Okay, I admit, it got sloppy near the end. I wanted to finish and I'm very tired so no complaining. After looking at a couple bad reviews for the last chapter I needed to change it. It was crap. Please review. 


	8. Blame

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon  
A/N: Sorry its short, its really good though!  
  
  
  
Savior  
  
  
  
The wound had been clean and had healed over. The blood was wiped away and it was sterilized. All around the spot where the orb had entered was bruised and sore. It hurt so much she had to lay on her stomach so nothing would touch it.  
  
He stood up and wiped his hands on the cloth he had used to dry her face. This was a very odd turn of events. She should have recovered instantly from the spore. It should have just taken over her mind. 'Maybe something went wrong,' the pathetic being he occupied known as Ken offered.  
  
'Shut up! Nothing went wrong! Not with my plan, it was perfect. All my plans are perfect!'  
  
'Tell that to the DigiDestined!'  
  
He sneered. 'If you hadn't come with the body I would have killed you long ago!' Ken backed off a bit. 'She will recover, just as you have.' He ran a hand over her neck, careful to avoid the injury. 'Just as I have.'  
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Anger and fury passed between them as the hours passed. Then it would go away, just to return again later. The frustration built up until they felt like they were going to explode. The room they were all locked in was nowhere near large enough to hold all of their frustration, worry, anger, and dread. The ten teens that were ready to rip out each other's voice boxes and the throat of their captor were slowing breaking apart.  
  
A tall burly brown haired teen stood by the door, pounding at it when he could muster the strength. He had gone three and a half days without sleep after waking up from being unconscious for twenty-four hours. The Kaiser had given him quite a beating.  
  
On the single full size bed in the center of the room sat a pink haired girl with her doctor boyfriend nursing her near broken arm. Behind where she sat a blond boy lay in a fitful unconscious slumber. His girlfriend, a red head with a series of cuts, bruises and burns, sat next to him, faithfully waiting for his return to consciousness. At a wide window a lanky red haired boy stood staring out, his eyes transfixed on the freedom beyond the glass. In the farthest corner of the large room a group of four talked quietly. A blond boy pressed himself into the corner with his knees pulled to his chest as his purple haired friend with cracked glasses hissed at a maroon haired boy about fault and dependability. A shorter boy with brown hair and his eyes covered with a cloth listened intently to the two without a word of agreement or input.  
  
This was how the group spent their off time when they weren't planning an escape or fighting with each other. Silent in their fears, nursing their wounds, and trying to pass the blame to someone else. Sanity and emotions were wearing thin.  
  
Where are the digimon?  
  
Where's Kari?  
  
What will happen to us?  
  
Are we going to live through this?  
  
Could I have prevented this?  
  
Each question hung unspoken in the atmosphere. No one had an answer; no one could surmise the probable horror, no one wanted to.  
  
The group had suffered serious casualties do to their last bout with the Kaiser. They had been beaten and captured. They were spiritually and physically wounded. None of them "walked" away from the battle without injury. They had not been dragged into the Kaiser's dungeon, if they were conscious, without another beating from the Kaiser's pets. At least the Kaiser had let them have a room where their doctor friend/teammate could treat the serious damage.  
  
"This is all your fault, Davis!" The purple haired girl with her cracked glasses growled.  
  
The maroon haired boy with his arm wrapped in a shredded bed sheet as well as his midsection, making it impossible to move his upper body, jumped to his feet. "I'm not the only one who left her!"  
  
"But you're our leader! It's your job to make sure we get home. We ALL get home!"  
  
"Well what about TC? Why didn't he? He was closest." From behind his hands the blond listened with frustration pent up inside his chest like a knot. A hard shoe kicked his leg, the non-broken one. "Why didn't you watch her? Weren't you the one who promised to protect her? What happened to caring about her?"  
  
He leapt to his feet, ignoring the sheer pain that raced up his leg, and slammed the taunting boy hard into the wall. His comrade grimaced and sunk to the floor, gasping for air. He choked violently and blood spilled onto his hands from his mouth. The blond sunk back into his corner.  
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Her eyes fluttered. He sat down on the edge of her bed. Slowly she opened her brown eyes and they locked onto his own violet ones. Touching the back of her neck lightly, her eyes searched his face; oddly enough, she wasn't wearing the glasses.  
  
"How do you feel?" He asked.  
  
"Fine," she replied, voice raspy. "But-" Her eyes continued to explore his face. "Who are you?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"And…who am I?"  
  
  
  
  
I am quite proud of the second to last scene. Oh it came out way better then I could ever have hoped! I'm a little hyper so I'm gonna try to keep from babbling. Oh, I'm so excited! I will be sixteen in three days! It kicks so much ass! Hehehe…. Okay, please review. :-) 


	9. No Identity

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon  
  
  
  
Savior  
  
  
  
I am Hikari. I have no last name, no family, no past. I am Hikari.  
  
I belong to Ken…the Digimon Kaiser. That's what he tells me to call him. He saved my life, he told me about myself, and he protected me. He said he loved me.  
  
I'm a twelve-year-old orphan from Japan. The only family I have is a brother…and he hurts me. My master saved me from my brother and he brought me to this world where he rules and where no one else comes.   
  
Sometimes I don't know if I should believe him, though I never voice my insecurity to him. Everything just seems so unreal, like a story he made up. I mean, I wake up one day with no memory or identity and I place my entire fate in a boy who I found sitting beside me.  
  
But then he touches me…and all the fears and conflict in my head disappear. He'll hold me and I realize he really cares for me.  
  
So I am Hikari. No last name, no family, no identity. But I live to serve my master.  
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He watched her from a corner. Watched wasn't a very good word, more like study. He was studying her from a far corner of the library. She was laughing a playing with some free baby digimon. Something she did before, something that seemed normal.  
  
Because nothing was normal now.  
  
Everything was weird. He had finally, more or less, won. She called to him as her master and she obeyed everything he told her. The DigiDestined were locked away, maybe for good, and there was no other threat standing between him and his dominance over the Digital World. But it felt wrong.  
  
'Because it is wrong,' Ken said softly. During the last week, since she had awoke from unconsciousness, Ken had become less and less of a presence inside their head. 'She calls you master because you lied to her. The DigiDestined are locked away because you used her and then beat them mercilessly. And the Digital World will be nothing more once you take full control.'  
  
He didn't reply to the boy in his mind. He just scrutinized her more. 'What are you looking for?' Ken asked. 'Because your not going to find anything of importance to you. She's not dark. She's not mean. The dark orb did nothing except wipe her mind. Your plan failed.'  
  
Again he just ignored him. There was nothing he could say. Everything was true. He had lied to her. She was not evil.  
  
She was basic.  
  
Everything she did was so basic. Her move movements, the way she spoke. She was so different now.  
  
'You better fix her! Nothing better happen to her!' Ken yelled.  
  
To this he did have something to say. 'Whatever happens to his is of no importance to me. Even if she stays this way forever, it is of no care to me. Its your fault for getting attached to her.'  
  
'She's not a pet. I didn't get 'attached' to her. She's a human being and you destroyed her life.'  
  
'No, not me. Us. You had every chance to stop me. You could have, you knew how far I could go. But you kept her in the Digital World in my reach. This can't all be placed on me.'  
  
And there was a silence that followed. They were both right, but both wrong, so neither could gloat and neither could argue. They just went back to studying her.  
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He watches me a lot. I think he worries about me. But sometimes…I swear it looks like he stares at me with hatred. He looks like he's constantly arguing with himself. And he always looks like he's hurt. I wish I could help him, but he won't let me. He'll yell at me.  
  
He scares me when he's like that.  
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Tai still pounded at the door. Same as the day before and the day before that. The lanky red head still stood at the window. The same group of four still sat in the same corner of the room. The blond still lay unconscious on the bed with his beautiful but weak girlfriend sitting beside him. And the same chestnut haired girl sat beside them. The only on who seemed to move at all was the resident doctor of the group, who traveled back and forth across the room treating all the many wounds. Or at least attempting…  
  
But it wasn't working. Matt was dying, Sora's burns and scraps were all infected, Izzy's voice wasn't returning, TK's leg wasn't setting right, and Tai kept blacking out. There were too many things too deal with and not enough supplies to treat them. Fate was against them. Odds were Matt could only keep on for a week, maybe two. And Sora would probably go after him.  
  
Not all the DigiDestined were going to get home alive, if any.  
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It was one week since the incident with the girl and the dark spore. Everything was going smoothly. She had recovered and she was getting into the hang of life as his slave.  
  
He sat in his study, reading over his past work off of his computer. It all seemed useless now. There was no point in more control spires because there was no threat. The majority of the world was his, the majority of it population were his, everything was-  
  
"Ken."  
  
His head snapped up. "What?!" He screamed at the little green worm that crawled into the room.  
  
"Its Kari. Something's wrong with her."  
  
Ken rolled his eyes. "What do you mean?"  
  
"She's crying and shaking. I can't get her to calm down."  
  
He pushed himself out of his chair. Why didn't this surprise him? "Take me to her." He followed the digimon out of his study. They walked down the hall. Actually Wormmon ran, Ken walked.  
  
They got to her room and he pushed open the door. Sure enough, on the bed she was sobbing and shaking. He sat down on the edge of the bed. Her eyes were clamped shut and teeth were gritted in pain. "Hikari, wake up," he said as he shook her lightly.  
  
"She's not asleep," Wormmon said.   
  
He grabbed her arms and held her down. "Hikari, what's wrong? It hurts."  
  
"It…hurts," she forced out. "H-help…"  
  
'What do I do?' He asked himself.  
  
"It hurts," she sobbed. Then she just went limp. She stopped crying and moving. She just went limp.  
  
"Hikari?"  
  
Her eyes fluttered open and locked with his. "Who are you?"  
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Sorry if it got bad at the end, I am so tired, but I wanted to finish. I'll Seeya y'all later. Bye, please review. 


	10. Starting Over

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon  
  
  
Savior  
  
  
She stared at the food that had been placed in front of her with the blank recognition she gave all things. She didn't move to touch it, purely out of unfamiliarity of the food in front of her. The clothes she wore were pink, blue, and white; a white long sleeve button shirt that sat over the pink shirt he had given to her a few weeks prior to this day. Dark blue pants clothed her bottom half, with the legs rolled up three times over to fit her. Both the shirt and pants had been liberated from his closet, both being items he had out grown.  
  
Color lacked her face and dark bags pooled under her eyes, despite her insistence that she felt fine, just confused. Her brown hair fell untamed around her face; no burettes or ponytails to hold it back. She wasn't coordinated enough suddenly to fix her hair.   
  
"Hikari," he called, trying to pull her from her thoughts. When she didn't respond, he touched her hand. "Your Hikari, remember?"  
  
She met his eyes. The bronze orbs that occupied the space in her head seemed empty almost, just barely flickering with life. "I'm sorry," came a whispering apology. "I'll try to remember."  
  
The presence in his mind, sneered, furious at her present state. Pathetic. "Its okay," he spoke up, sincerely grateful he had control of his mouth. "It may take some time to get use to." She didn't respond, just stared at the plate full of food in front of her. "You can eat that, you know. Its very good." She stared at him with unblinking eyes. He took a bite off from his plate just to reassure her.  
  
They ate in silence for a few moments. "M-master?" He looked up at her. Her hands rang her ripping napkin in nervousness. Or maybe it was to keep her hands busy and from shaking. They had a tendency to do that lately.  
  
She didn't say anything. "You were saying?"  
  
She looked up at him, looking confused at what he was talking about. Then said, "Um…do-do you think you could tell me who I am? I still can't remember."  
  
"Yeah, I can. Eat first, then we'll talk." Her hands continued to ring the napkin. He grabbed her hands. "Eat."  
  
"Yes master," she nibbled at the rice on her plate.  
  
'Stay with the same story as before,' the presence ordered. 'Imprint it in her mind. Maybe she will remember it this time.'  
  
'Have you figured out what's wrong with her?' He asked.  
  
'No, but I have a plan.' On of the many drawbacks to having the presence in his mind was that all his thoughts were open to it, but it didn't work both ways.  
  
A sliding sound pulled him from his thoughts. She was pushing her plate away with half the food uneaten. "I don't want anymore."  
  
"Are you sure?" She nodded and he waved his hand for the two Gekomon that stood to the side to clear the table.  
  
"I ate, will you tell me now?" Her hands shook for unknown reasons.  
  
"Yeah, what do you want to know?"  
  
She thought. "I don't know. What are people suppose to know?" Gripping the table with both hands, she sat up straight. "Do I have family? Where am I from?"  
  
She didn't ask about her last name like last time. "You're an orphan from Japan."  
  
She looked at him funny. "What's Japan?"  
  
He laughed then stopped. "Are you serious?" She knew what it was before. "Its an island country on earth."  
  
"What's earth?"  
  
'She doesn't know,' the presence laughed. 'She's getting easier to manipulate. Don't divulge into this. You are not apart of that world and now neither is she. Leave it where it is, forgotten.'  
  
"Forget about it," he dismissed. "Forget I mentioned it. It's just a place from a long time ago. Full of bad memories."  
  
"Okay," she nodded. Then silence. "So…I'm an orphan?" He nodded. "What happened?"  
  
"Your parents died when you were little in a…" 'Stick with the story!' "Car accident."  
  
"Oh, is that when I came to live with you?" She asked.  
  
'Here's comes the best part,' the presence snickered. "No. You lived with your brother before you came to me."  
  
"I have a brother?" The way she asked sounded like a cross between hope and discontentment. "Where is he?"  
  
"I took you away from him. He used to hurt you." He made his voice sincere. Lying to her the first time was bad enough. The second time around seemed like an opportunity to make things right. But he was too spineless to say no to the presence. The Kaiser.  
  
"He hurt me?" She asked, distressed. "Like how?"  
  
"I'd rather not say," he said honestly. The Kaiser sneered. 'I leave one thing for you to figure out and you can't even think of anything to say! Your useless!'  
  
"Why'd you take me?"  
  
"Because your mine," he replied cryptically. In her current state he knew she would be satisfied by the answer. And the Kaiser was in no mood to unveil more.  
  
"Ken," she started. He looked up at her with dull eyes. "M-master," she corrected. "I'm tired, can I go to my room?"  
  
"Of course," he permitted with another wave of his hand. The Apemon guard brought his attention to the two and started to walk over. He got up as the Apemon helped her out of her seat. As they started to leave the Kaiser took over and grabbed her arm. "Rest up," he whispered and kissed her on the mouth. She stiffened under his lips, but kissed back. When he pulled away he brushed her cheek with his lips as he leaned into her ear. "You will have dinner with me tonight. I will send for you later."  
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He twirled the black ring on his finger as he watched two mojimon drag in the limping and mute red headed DigiDestined. The older boy struggled silently, resisting going forward and trying to pull away from the mojimon. The mojimon brought the DigiDestined, Knowledge, to a stop before him. Ken separated himself from the Kaiser and slipped into the farthest corner of his mind.  
  
"Hello Knowledge." The DigiDestined continued his useless struggle against the mojimon. "You know, it is impolite not to respond when spoken to. Oh right, I remember. One of my slaves almost destroyed your voice box. That'll take weeks, maybe months to recover from." He stopped twirling the ring and clutched it tightly in his hand. His violet eyes burned into the DigiDestined. "I would have enjoyed hearing you scream."  
  
Knowledge stopped struggling and stood there, defiantly. His charcoal eyes locked with the Kaiser, refusing to break the lock. The Kaiser snapped his fingers and the Apemon kicked Knowledge's feet from under him. He fell to his knees with a grimace of pain. The Apemon grabbed a fist full of his hair and yanked his head back. He ground his teeth to keep from crying.  
  
"You're strong willed. I could slit your throat from here." He touched on side of his neck. "To here." Tracing his finger along Knowledge's neck, he triggered a shiver, and touched the other side of his neck. "You know that. And if you feel fear, you don't show it." A small smile surfaced on his face, as if he were a small uncertain child who was receiving a gift. The Apemon offered out his arm.  
  
Koushiro watched in horror as the Kaiser pushed up his sleeve and clamped the dark spiral on his upper arm. 'This is it. I'm going to be a drone like Kari,' he thought,. The Kaiser held up the digivice. 'Don't show fear. Don't show fear. Don't show fear.' "Dark spiral activate!"  
  
The DigiDestined boy slumped over, still being held up by the Apemon.  
  
His mind felt numb. He could no longer see or hear. He wasn't even sure he was still breathing. Then, loud and clear, a voice rang in his hears. "Slave, stand!" His legs moved to stand, but not by his consent. His basic consciousness was pushed to the back of his mind. His eyes opened and he could see everything bathed in red. "Speak, who am I?"  
  
"You are the Digimon Kaiser." He was surprised to hear his own voice. Stern and monotone, he could speak again. "You are the master of the Digital World and everything in it."  
  
The Kaiser smirked. "Correct." He began to pace and waved the two Apemon off. They stepped back and Knowledge stayed in place. This was a good sign. "And who are you?"  
  
'Please don't make me do this,' Koushiro begged. "I am your slave." He couldn't control his words, nor could he control any movement in his body. He couldn't even blink on his own.  
  
"On your knees!" The Kaiser ordered. And he fell to his knees with his head to the floor, bowing before the Kaiser. A merciless smile washed over his face. He could only imagine the horror going through Knowledge's mind. "I have a job for you Slave."  
  
"What is it you order, master?"  
  
"There's something wrong with the child of light."  
  
'Kari?'  
  
"She is the host of a dark spore, but it hasn't affected her the way it did the Child of Kindness. Instead of advancing her, it is deleting her mind. Well, her memory. I want you to figure out why."  
  
"As you wish master. But what's a dark spore?"  
  
"All the information you will need is on the computer I have set up for you. And if you want the girl, tell your guard. He will fetch her for you." He turned away from his newest slave and stared at the computer screen that floated above his throne. On it it had the profile of Koushiro Izumi, the holder of Knowledge. Behind that screen were other screens with the profiles of the other DigiDestined. "Rise." There was a scraping sound behind him. "Remember, slave, if you fail," he laughed, "You may find it quite unpleasant. I want her fix. Be gine."  
  
"Yes master." The Apemon lead her out of the room.  
  
Ken sheltered himself from the pride swelling through the Kaiser. He rocked himself in a corner of his mind prison, trying to forget the horror and fear the DigiDestined of Knowledge, Koushiro "Izzy" Izumi gave off before losing himself to the dark spiral.  
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The yellow and white Apemon pulled her from her room and told her to follow him. She fell into step with hi, despite trembling with fear. Her master had told her to stay into her room. She didn't like disobeying him because he would hit her. He would get angry, yell and then hit her.  
  
But then, usually while she was crying, he would hold her and kiss her, saying it would be okay. And then they wouldn't talk about it. He'd hold her and everything would be okay.  
  
It had already happen twice this week.  
  
The Apemon came to a stop in front of a large wooden door. The Apemon knocked on the door and a loud voice replied with enter. The Apemon opened the door and shoved her inside, slamming it behind her.  
  
The room was white. White walls with tall windows at the end. The carpet underneath her feet was blue and sunk under her weight. A bed was pushed up in the corner of the small room dressed in white sheets and a deep green blanket. To her left was a small book like contraption sitting on a desk. Although it had no pages it, but on the inside of one cover it had buttons and the inside of the other glowed. A red haired boy sat at it, tapping at the buttons. He looked up at her with red tinted eyes.  
  
"Hikari I presume," he stated as he stood up. She nodded. 'Kari,' Koushiro cried out, locked in his mind. 'Thank god your okay.' "How are you feeling today?" She didn't answer. "Its alright to speak. I know the master probably told you not to, but you can when you're here with me." She nodded in understanding. "My name is Koushiro."  
  
"Its nice to meet you," she whispered in reply.  
  
'She really has forgotten,' he thought, sinking away from hope.  
  
"What did you want, Koushiro? Does the master know you called me, because if I'm not in my room I'll get in trouble-"  
  
"He knows, he knows," Koushiro reassured her. "He said I could call you if I wanted too. He probably won't even know you're gone." He guided her into the chair he had been sitting in. "I wanted to talk to you, that's it."  
  
"Okay, I wouldn't mind talking. I usually just sit by myself in my room. Or in the library."  
  
"Do you like to read?" He asked, making conversation.  
  
"No. I can't read," she answered. "But I like the library. Its warm and bright in there." He nodded.  
  
He watched her hands fold and unfold in her lap. They shook if they stayed still for too long. "Why do you keep moving your hands like that?" He asked.  
  
""I'm not sure. They shake and I can't help it."  
  
He pulled a chair from the table where he ate and sat down in front of her. Taking her hands into his, they stopped shaking. "Can I do something?" He asked.  
  
"What is it?" Her eyes were locked onto his hands. They were warm and soft, unlike Ken's who were usually cold.  
  
"I need you to lean over so I can flip your hair. I want to look at the back of you neck."  
  
She pulled away. "M-my neck? Why? I-I really would rather not," her shaking increased.  
  
"Hikari, please," he beseeched her softly, grasping her hands again.  
  
She nodded, "Mmmkay." She leaned over and her hair fell around her face like a veil.  
  
"Oh, my god…" he whispered, shaken.  
  
On the back of her neck was a large purple and black bruise. It was a large circular imprint, looking ghastly and painful. He bit his tongue to keep from being sick. "Hikari, does that hurt?" He touched the spot lightly. She jerked in surprise and let out a small whimper. "I'll take that as a yes. Don't move." He went to the bathroom and soaked a cloth in cold water. He returned to her side and laid the cloth on the contusion. Her body jerked again, this time more out of surprise. "How long has that been there?"  
  
She wrapped her arms around her legs, hugging them to her chest as she continued to sit leaned over. "Four as long as I can remember." Her voice shook.  
  
He rubbed her back. "How long has that been?"  
  
"Four days."  
  
"Does the cloth help?" She nodded. "Well, do it again before you go to sleep, okay? And from now on until it goes away." She nodded again. Her body gave a harder shake and she cried out. "Hikari?"  
  
Her head perked up. "I-Izzy?"  
  
The door opened and the Apemon who was his guard entered. "Hikari, the master wants you."  
  
She pulled the cloth from her neck as she up righted herself. "Alright, I'm coming."   
  
She handed the cloth to Koushiro, but he grabbed her wrist instead. "What were you going to say before he came in?"  
  
She blinked, looking befuddled. "I don't remember. Must not have been important."   
  
He pulled out a paper from his pocket. "Listen to me. There is a door four doors down from your room. It has this written on the door." The letter PRISONERS was written on the paper. "Go to that room and tell the other's to keep up faith. Izzy's working on it." She nodded, wide eyed. He shooed her away and she turned and walked out.  
  
"Apemon," he called. The digimon looked up. "What does the master want with her? He hasn't…you know?"  
  
"I'm afraid I don't," he replied in a gruff voice. "But if you're asking if he's going to hurt her, then no. In fact, the master is quite taken with her." With that he left and locked the door, leaving Koushiro standing there alone.  
  
'She remembered me name,' he thought, hope swirling through him. 'And Ken has fallen for her…'  
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Izzy never returned. It had been three days since the two mojimon and four apemon had come in. The mojimon had dragged him off, while the apemon held the other DigiDestined back. Izzy never came back afterwards.  
  
The situation was getting bleaker. Two DigiDestined were gone, disappeared, whereabouts unknown. Two more were completely out of commission, fighting death instead of the Kaiser. And the rest had so many injuries they probably couldn't fight, let alone stand half the time.  
  
On the full size bed Joe sat up against the headboard with Mimi sitting between his legs. Tai sat cross-legged in front of them at the foot of the bed. They had been talking quietly for a long time, not about anything specific, just different things, mostly to keep Tai from going nuts. Often they'd talk about escape, but nothing seemed plausible.  
  
Beside them Sora and Matt had both fallen into a fitful slumber. Matt had not yet awake and Sora being awake became more of a godsend. Things were looking up for the star-crossed pair. Everyone knew what was happening to them, but they refused to talk about it. Because they were going to die.  
  
The younger DigiDestined beside TK sat in the same corner as they did every day, quietly discussing issues of their own. TK had separated himself from them into the furthest corner of the room, just to be by himself. He sat there, hour after hour, with his knees to his chest and his head on his knees. Now and then he would get up and walk over to Sora and Matt, looking for any signs of life, then sit down and sob.  
  
The way they separated themselves made it obvious that what the Kaiser had said about them leaving Kari was true. Joe didn't want to believe it, even after Kari had said it. But now it was impossible to ignore or overlook and it had taken both Izzy and Joe to keep Tai from beating TK and Davis into a bloody pulp.  
  
But now Izzy was gone and it took Joe to beat the crap out of Tai to keep him from killing Davis after he had opened his big fat mouth earlier.  
  
But Joe didn't know how much he could take before he couldn't take the fighting anymore.  
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She stared at the paper and counted the doors that led away from her room. One…two…three…four. She stopped and began to match the letters on the doors to the ones on the paper. P…P R…R I…I S…S O…O N…N E…E R…R S…S Everything matched up. 'I wonder what that word means,' she thought.  
  
She pushed into the room and six pairs of eyes looked up at her. A brown haired boy, who had been sitting on the bed jumped up. "Kari!" He yelled and began to run toward her. She stepped back toward the door and he stopped. "Kari, what's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"  
  
"Why do you keep calling me Kari? My name's Hikari." Her widened eyes looked at the blue haired man and pink haired girl getting off the bed and then to the other side of the room where two guys and a girl stared at her. "Who are you?"  
  
Tai blinked in surprise. "Kari, that's your name. And it's me Tai, your brother."  
  
"My brother?" Her eyes expanded in fear and she took another step back.  
  
"Kari, what's wrong?"  
  
"Stop calling me that! And stay away from me," she yelled.  
  
Tai felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Joe. "She's scared of you. Stop." Joe stepped forward and extended a hand to her.   
  
"Do you know me?" She asked, her face stressed and scared.  
  
He tried to reach out to her again, but she pulled back in reflex. He stopped. "Yeah, you don't remember us?" She shook her head, eyeing the door. "My name is Joe. I'm one of your friends."  
  
"My…ffffriends?" She sounded like she was testing the word. "What's that?"  
  
Joe gapped at her. "You don't know what a friend is?" She shook her head. "Ka-Hikari, come here."   
  
She only took a step back. "I-I'm not supposed to be here. I h-have to go." She was breathing hard and hyperventilating.  
  
"Tai!" Joe called out. They both tackled her, grabbing her feet and arms and clamped a hand over her mouth. "Mimi, close the door." His pink haired girlfriend did as she was told. They carried Kari to the bed, crying and struggling and laid her down. They held her there.  
  
"Now what, smart guy?" Tai snapped. His hand was secured over her mouth while holding both her wrists in one hand. The way she was crying and sobbing made him want to let her go and hold her like he did when she was little. The way she stared at him, her eyes wide and flowing with tears, with terror made him want to curl up in a hole and die. Is this what she had become?  
  
Joe leaned over the girl. "Hikari, we're not going to hurt you. If you stop struggling we'll let you go. It's as easy as that. But you have to promise to listen to us." She tried to pull away again, but Tai pushed down on her harder. "Hikari, look at me," Joe pressed. Her eyes matched his. "Good. Now we're not going to let anything happen to you. Will you listen to us?" Her eyes locked with Tai's before looking at Joe again and nodding. "You gotta stay quiet and you can't run like you did, okay?" She nodded again. "Let her go Tai." Tai let go of a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding and released her. Joe pulled her into a sitting position and wiped her tears with his thumb. She tried to pull away, but he held her still. "There, all okay, right?" She nodded, as if just to be obedient. "Do you remember what I said my name was?"  
  
Her eyes went to the pink haired girl behind him, then back to the blue haired boy talking to her. His hair was the same color as the master's. "Your Joe."  
  
"Right," he nodded, his voice encouraging. "And his?" He jerked his chin toward the brown haired boy watching her with big brown eyes. She liked they way they looked softly at her.  
  
"Tai," she answered. "He said his name was Tai."  
  
"Do you know who he is?" She shook her head. "Me?" Again she shook her head. He looked over at Tai. "What do we do now?"  
  
"I dunno," Tai whispered, feeling his throat tighten as he watched Kari. It took everything he had in him to not run over to her and hug her.  
  
"Hikari, would you like to meet our friends?" Joe offered.  
  
"What's a friend?" She asked, her voice genuinely puzzled.  
  
"Well, it's a person who…uh…cares a lot about you. They know everything about you and are there for you when you need them." She was tempted to ask 'Like the master', but decided against it. Joe offered his hand to her and he pulled her off the bed toward the pink haired girl. "Hikari, this is Mimi. Mimi, this is Hikari."  
  
"Its nice to meet you," Mimi replied, trying to keep her voice light and normal. Kari nodded in reply.  
  
Joe dragged her over to the three younger DigiDestined in the back, watching her every facial expression, looking for any sign of remembrance. There were none on her soft features. "This is Yolie." He pointed to a girl with bandages around her arms and cracked purple glasses hiding behind purple hair. "This is Davis." This was a boy with spiky maroon hair and broken goggles around his neck. "And this is Cody." Another boy, this time smaller then the rest with a bowl cut for his brown hair.  
  
"Hi," came the small chorus.  
  
They walked back over to the bed where Tai and Mimi were watching them. "Do you remember us?" Joe asked.  
  
But she wasn't paying any attention. Instead she was looking behind him, at a figure curled up in a corner. "What about him?" She asked.  
  
Joe looked up. "Oh, that's TK. I'm not sure you'd want to meet him. Leave him alone, okay?"  
  
She nodded. "Then what about them?" She pointed to Matt and Sora in the bed, Sora curled up under Matt's arm.  
  
"That's Matt and Sora. They are very sick so we can't wake them."  
  
"What's wrong? Why are they sick?"  
  
"We don't know," Joe answered honestly.  
  
"I'm sorry," Kari whispered, fumbling on her words. She could feel the back of her neck burn. She looked up to see the blond boy, TK, staring at her. He looked pained to look at her face, but he didn't make any movement to look away. "I-I have a message for you. For a boy named Koushiro."  
  
"K-Koushiro?" Joe stuttered out, relief racing through him. "What does he say?"  
  
"He said…" She scratched her head in thought. "Keep up faith. Izzy's working on it." She stared down. "I'm not sure what that means, so I'm sorry I can't tell you more."  
  
"No, no," Joe said shaking his head, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Its perfect. We know what he means." He took her hands, which he noticed to be shaking, and squeezed them. "Thank you." She nodded. She could still feel the blond boy staring at her. She tried to pull away from Joe. "Hikari, we want to be your friends. But you have to let us, alright?"  
  
"You want to be my-"  
  
The door slammed open and the Kaiser stood in the doorway, his face red with anger. Two Apemon and a Red Veggiemon stood behind him. "You," he pointed on long finger at her. "Come here now!"   
  
She took a step towards him, feeling heat from embarrassment in her face and fear from getting in trouble with her master. Joe grabbed her arm. "Kari-Hikari, no!" His fingers dug into her arm. "Don't listen to him! He'll hurt you!"  
  
She tried to pull away. Her master began to stomp toward them, but Tai stepped in his way. "Back off Emperor Boy. She's not going anywhere with you," Tai growled with confidence strong in his voice.  
  
Hikari stared at hi back, trying to figure out why he was protecting her. The master wouldn't hurt her.  
  
The Kaiser momentarily smirked before landing an unseen punch to Tai's stomach and a second to his face. He kicked the brown haired boy's legs from under him before he could recover. "You back off," he muttered to the downed boy. He moved his eyes to Kari. "Come here!" He ordered.  
  
She felt Joe wrap his arm around her neck and hold one hand behind her back. 'I'm sorry Kari,' he apologized in his mind. "Kaiser, let us go or else!"  
  
The Kaiser put his hands on his hips and smirked, his eyes malevolent and mocking. "Or else what? You'll hurt her? What will that accomplish? She's just my slave, what would I care if she gets hurt."  
  
Joe opened his mouth to reply but something around his neck tightened and pulled him to the floor, taking Kari down with him. A Red Veggiemon vine/arm tightened around his neck, forcing him to let Kari go. She scrambled off the floor to the Kaiser and stood/hid behind him. "Let that be a lesson to you." With that said he grabbed her hand dragged her out of the room.  
  
The Apemon closed the door and he turned back to her. He struck her across the face, sending her to the floor. "What did you think you were doing going in there?" He demanded. "Didn't I tell you to stay in your room?!"  
  
She curled up into a ball onto the floor. "I'm sorry! Koushiro told me to go to the room. I was just doing what he said!" She sobbed, covering her head with her arms.  
  
The Kaiser didn't speak after that. His breathing got hard and he grabbed the wall to steady himself. Inside his mind Ken was fighting back, trying to keep him from beating her up. This happened every time he lost his temper.  
  
He turned to one of the Apemon. "Take her to her room now. Don't let her out!" The Apemon nodded and rushed to scoop the sobbing girl off the floor.  
  
Ken watched them go, momentarily pushing the Kaiser to the back of his mind. 'How the hell is that DigiDestined fool able to tell her to talk to them? He shouldn't have that type of control!'  
  
Ken could have smiled. He had sabotaged the dark spiral so that Koushiro could break through it.  
  
For once he knew something the Kaiser didn't.  
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When he walked in she was just sitting on her bed, staring at her hands. She didn't notice he had come in until he closed the door with a soft click. She jumped to her feet, panic on her soft features, but he pushed her down gently. "Its alright, its alright," he eased. "I'm not mad." She relaxed and he sat down beside her.  
  
They sat in silence after that. She was not inclined or encouraged to speak without his permission and he didn't have anything to talk about. Talking was over rated. The insolent fool called Ken just enjoyed being in her presence. It was enough to keep him from fighting back.  
  
Ken laid back on the bed, his head on the pillow and his hands under his head. She laid down beside him, one hand rested on his chest and her head in his elbow. Her breath was warm on his cheek as he stared at the ceiling.  
  
"Who were those people?" She asked suddenly.  
  
"Don't you worry about them," he dismissed.  
  
"But they were all hurt. And…and two of them are really sick. Can't you help them?" She begged.  
  
"We'll see," he dismissed again.  
  
"Master, please?"  
  
He turned his head to look at her. Her brown eyes met his rose colored ones. "Why?"  
  
"They wanted to be my friends," she replied in a whisper.  
  
"Okay," he whispered. The Kaiser in his head growled in anger, but Ken ignored him. "Tomorrow I will see what I can do."  
  
"Thank you," she whispered. She moved in closer and rested her head on his chest. Her breathing steadied and he listened to her fall asleep. He smiled as he pulled one of his hands from under his head. He ran in through her hair, which she was leaving down now. He too fell asleep with his hand rested in her hair.  
~~**~~  
Whimpering jolted him from a light, dreamless (his favorite kind) sleep. He opened his eyes, trying to figure out where he was. He looked down to see Hikari with her head on his chest. She was crying and shaking.  
  
He moved his hand from her hair and shook her lightly. "Hikari, Hikari! Wake up!" Her shaking intensified and his eyes widened in confusion. "Hikari, come on, please! Wake up!" Her hands grabbed at his shirt tightly. "Hikari!"  
  
And she stopped.  
  
She just went still and silent. The tears stopped rolling from her eyes and her hands released his shirt. "Hikari?" He whispered, his voice shaking.  
  
Her eyelids pressed down tightly before jerking up to reveal brown eyes.  
  
"Who are you?"  
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I hope you enjoyed this, it was a fun write. Please review. I'm exhausted so I can't think of anything witty to say to you people! So later dayz! 


	11. Retarded

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon  
  
  
Savior  
  
  
He lay in bed staring up at the ceiling, his hand tangled in her hair. Her hand rested on his chest as she slept and her arm encircled his waist. Her fingers got under his loose sleeping shirt and twitched as she dreamed, tickling his side. With his other hand he absently grabbed her hand. She pushed herself closer into his chest.  
  
This was the perfect set up. He had her perfectly manipulated with no recollection of who she was before. The DigiDestined were his, all he had to do was enslave them. Two of them were almost dead, that was far more fun to watch.  
  
So why couldn't he sleep?  
  
'Maybe its because you know what's happening to her. Or maybe because now your going from vicious Kaiser to cold blooded murder,' Ken screamed in the mind they shared. Lately his host was becoming more and more of an outspoken nuisance.   
  
'I have not killed anyone,' he thought back calmly. 'Not yet at least.' He snickered at that comment. 'And what do I care what happens to her? You're the one with the infatuation, not me. The only reason I let you keep her around is because someday I can probably use her for her body.'  
  
'Take that back! You will do no such thing!' His mind felt heated with anger.  
  
The Kaiser left it at that. He was in no mood to argue with Ken. And if he was perfectly honest, he would never touch her.  
  
There was a knock at the door. 'Who the hell?' He thought sourly. Softly, trying not to jar her, he laid her back on the pillow. He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. There was rustling behind him and he glanced over his shoulder to see her sitting up.  
  
"Stay there. Just go back to sleep. If I need you I will send for you." He forced himself off the bed and padded to the door. He briefly glanced over his shoulder to see her watching him. Shrugging it off he opened the door to reveal the DigiDestined of Knowledge.  
  
"What do you want?!" The Kaiser demanded. He patience for his newest slave was strained; his mind seemed to be more of his own then any other slave. Ken seemed to like him because he had quickly won over Hikari's trust. She seemed to remember him just enough to be comfortable around him. Another reason the Kaiser disliked him.  
  
"Its about the DigiDestined of Friendship and Love. An Apemon came to me and I thought it should be brought to your attention before I proceeded and did anything," Knowledge replied.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"The DigiDestined of Friendship has stopped breathing. There's still a pulse, but no breathing. The DigiDestined of Reliability is trying to revive him. He has had little success," his slave explained. "Do I have permission to step in?"  
  
"And what could you do?" He replied mockingly. "The doctor, who has studied medicine extensively, can't seem to revive him. What makes you think you can? Don you have medical experience?"  
  
"Well, I-uh-"  
  
"Take him to the medical room. I will be there in a minute."  
  
"What about the girl, the child of love?"  
  
"What's wrong with her?"  
  
"She's dying."  
  
"Fine!" The Kaiser waved his hand for Knowledge to leave. "Keep the lovers together. Now leave." His slave left and he shut the door. He stalked over to his closet and grabbed a pair of old cargos and slipped them over his boxers. He wasn't going to worry about his "intimidating" Kaiser uniform. He started for the door, but stopped upon seeing her stand up from the bed. He glared at her with tired eyes. "Stay here." She shook her head. "Sty here! Go back to sleep. I will deal with these matters and return to you." Stubbornly she too a step forward in protest. He raised his hand to strike her across the face and she flinched backward. He lowered his hand and sighed, "But on some pants and something on your feet and lets go." She scrambled off to do as she was told.  
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"Let me go!" She struggled, her voice weak. "Don't touch me! Matt!"  
  
Izzy watched from a far corner of the white medical room where an Apemon was holding her down without a problem. She had little strength and yet she continued to use it up by fighting uselessly with the Apemon. Next to her bed was a second bed where Matt slept, a breathing mask over his nose and mouth.  
  
He stepped forward. "Sora." She ignored him and continued to fight. He pushed the digimon out of the way and grabbed her wrists. "Sora, stop! Listen to me!"  
  
She looked at him. "Izzy?"  
  
He nodded and gave a reassuring smile as her hands found his. "Yeah." He glanced at the Apemon. "Get out." It quickly left.  
  
"Where have you been?" She question, her voice was strained and her hands clutched his with barely any strength. She was in pain.  
  
"Watching the Kaiser," he replied.  
  
"What's he going to do to us?"  
  
"I don't know," he whispered honestly. "Hopefully keep you alive." She let out n unsteady breath. "Don't worry. Whatever he does I will keep you safe. But I need to explain something to you before he comes."  
  
"Explain what?" Her eyes shifted over to Matt beside them.  
  
Izzy pulled back his sleeve to reveal the black ring. "The Kaiser thinks I'm his slave. The thing malfunctioned and I broke through it. But I have to listen to everything he says." She was starting doze off. "Sora, I know you're tired, but you have to listen to me." She met his eyes. "If he makes me do anything to you, I'm sorry." She nodded.  
  
"What was the black-" Her voice broke as she spoke. "*cough**cough* what was it like before you stopped being under its control?"  
  
Izzy swallowed hard. "Don't worry about it. Just pray you never experience it."  
  
"Did it hurt?" She pressed.  
  
"Not so much. I was just so numb it was painful. I had no control of myself." He looked to the door. "There's more. Kari will be with him, most likely."  
  
"Is she his slave?" Sora asked, fear the answer.  
  
"No, she's by his side voluntarily." Sora opened her mouth to speak, but Izzy put a finger on her lips to silence her. "Do you know what a dark spore?" She shook her head. "I will explain later, when there's time. Kari's infected by one. It's deleting her mind. She's not going to remember you." There were footsteps outside. "I will continue later. But Ken Ichijoji may not be our real enemy." He squeezed her hand and despite protests from her, let go. The door opened just as he stepped away from the bed. The Kaiser walked in dressed in a faded maroon shirt and holey cargo jeans. Kari followed behind him in a pair of overly baggy blue pants and a long white shirt that went to mid thigh. Izzy briefly glanced at Sora; her eyes were locked on Kari, her lips pressed into a small line. Kari stayed by the door while the Kaiser walked toward the bed.  
  
"Master what do you have in plan for him?" Izzy questioned, more for Sora's comfort then his own.  
  
The Kaiser stood over Matt, and then turned his hard glare to Sora. She physically tensed under his eyes. "I have a doctor friend. I took Hikari to him before."  
  
"Will you take him there?"  
  
The Kaiser didn't answer him at first. "No, I will bring him here."  
  
"Master, is that wise? An outsider to the Digital World?" Izzy questioned.  
  
The Kaiser didn't answer. "Just watch Hikari. I will be back mid tomorrow." Izzy nodded and the Kaiser walked out.  
  
"Hikari," Izzy called. She looked up from the door to him. "Lay down over there." He pointed at a cot in the corner of the room. "I'm not leaving tonight, so you'll have to stay here unless you want to go back to your room." She shook her head and sat down on the edge of the cot. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her watching him. He gave a sad sigh as he sat down beside Sora who stared at Kari through pained eyes. Here were three of his best friends, and they were all dying.  
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Ken stood outside the brightly light Kimino clinic. Guvin would most likely inside at 4:30 in the morning doing paper work and other things. He tried to step forward towards the door, but the Kaiser fought him. The being in his mind was completely opposed to the entire idea, but with much effort he was able to force him down again. Which he did so. Each time drained him more.  
  
As the automatic door pulled open, he stepped into the cool waiting room of the clinic. The room was completely empty except for a woman with a squirming five year old and his target, Dr. Joseph Guvin. The green eyed doctor glanced up at him and his eyes widened. "Just a minute Ken," he called before turning his attention back to the woman. "Just keep an eye on Miso while he eats jelly beans, don't let him stick anymore up his nose. Hopefully this time will teach him. Oh and I wouldn't feed a five year old jelly beans at four in the morning." She just nodded and thanked the doctor before turning to leave. Guvin looked at Ken. "Come on back to my office." Guvin gestured toward the door that led to the back of the clinic. His voice sounded hollow and he didn't look at Ken. Ken walked through the door into Guvin's office and Guvin closed the door behind them. Guvin turned to Ken and grabbed him by the front of his shirt before slamming him into the wall. The air rushed out of his lungs and he desperately sucked at the air trying to get a breath.  
  
"What's…that *cough* for?"  
  
"Where the hell is Joe?!" He demanded.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Ken, you can't do no questions this time! Where's Joe?!"  
  
"He's at my house! He's safe!" Ken snapped, fighting for air.  
  
"After Joe AND Kari turned up missing, nine more disappeared. All in the same mysterious way YOU did! Without a trace, without a clue, without a ransom note! I don't know what kind of cult or whatever the hell is going on, but I want answers NOW!" He slammed Ken back against the wall again, just to get his point across.  
  
There was the coppery taste of blood in his mouth. "Do you know what the DigiDestined are?"  
  
"Yeah. They're those kids that saved the world."  
  
"Those teens who are missing, they are the DigiDestined. They're in the Digital World." Guvin loosened his grip on Ken's shirt. "They're all there."  
  
Guvin stepped back "You're a DigiDestined?" He let go of Ken who sank to the floor, spitting out blood on the carpet and sucking in air like he was breathing through a straw.  
  
"No…" They locked eyes and Guvin saw his to be hard and icy. "I'm their enemy."  
  
"Their enemy?"  
  
The Kaiser pushed himself off the floor and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Yes, their enemy. The person they fight. I am the entire reason they fight." He wiped his hand on his pants, creating a red smear.  
  
"Your disturbed Ken."  
  
"They call me the Digimon Kaiser. I tried to take over the Digital World. And they were the last hope for the world."  
  
"And they stopped you?" Guvin asked humored, knowing the answer would be yes. Good always over bad, right?  
  
"I stopped them." Guvin stared at Ken. "Four months ago I "captured" Kari. Then when Joe saw us he followed me back to the DigiWorld. And I captured him. Then the rest of the DigiDestined faced me and I beat them. And now they're in the Digital World, in my home, dying. I need your help."  
  
"With what?"  
  
"The Children of- Their names are Sora Takenouchi and Yamato Ishida. They're dying and I don't know what to do." 'I don't want to kill them.' "I need you to come to the Digital World and look at them. Fix them."  
  
"GO to the Digital World? Are you serious?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Ken, I can't just leave the clinic for some twisted fantasy you've come up with."  
  
"Its not a twisted fantasy. Come with me and I'll prove it to you. Besides if you don't come now, they will die. I will not allow them to leave the DigiWorld to go to a hospital."  
  
"Okay, let's say this if real, you would let two people die just because I won't believe you?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
'What's wrong with you, Ichijouji?' Guvin thought to himself. 'Are you nuts or just cruel?' He studied Ken, looking for any abnormity, anything to help him figure out Ken. There was nothing, except his eyes kept changing, from hard to soft and pained, to hard again. "Okay. Prove it."  
  
"Thank you," Ken replied. He walked over to the computer and typed a code in. The DigiPort came up onto the screen. Ken grabbed Guvin by his shirt and up his DigiVice. "DigiPort open!"  
  
In a flash of light they disappeared from the light blue room and reappeared in a massive room of stone. Guvin gazed around, mouth open. "What in the-"  
  
"This is my home, my fortress. Your now in the Digital World."  
  
"You were fucking telling the truth…" Guvin whispered in awe, staring out one wide window that showed the landscape of the Digital World (the part without the snow).   
  
"And you didn't believe me," the Kaiser said amused. Guvin looked over at Ken, his voice suddenly sounded so mocking. His eyes were hard again. "Are you ready to meet your patients?" Guvin nodded. "Follow me."  
  
The Kaiser walked out of the computer room, assuming that Guvin would follow, which the doctor did readily. They walked down the stone hallway with its maroon carpets, passing Apemon, Bakumon, and Gekomon. Guvin stared at the creatures in awe.  
  
They stopped at the medical room and Ken walked in with Guvin behind him. Inside was quiet, Kari and Koushiro were asleep on the cot in the corner. Guvin stared at Kari and took a step towards her.  
  
"Don't bother with her. Kari won't remember you, nor will she talk to you." He pointed to the beds where Sora and Matt lay unconscious. "That's them." Guvin turned his attention from Kari to Matt.  
  
Guvin walked over and looked Matt down, then Sora. "What happen to them?"  
  
"The girl was hit by a burning tree branch. Suffered major burns and blows to the head. The boy got thrown off of his digimon's back while thirty feet off the ground, twice. Then got him by an attack from one of my digimon." Guvin felt his throat tighten in anger and disgust. "I can get you anything you need," Ken announced. "Just tell me and it will be ready. Although it may take an hour to a day to get it."  
  
"And how will you get expensive medical equipment?" Guvin asked.  
  
"Easy, I make it," the Kaiser replied haughtily.  
  
Guvin stared at Ken suspiciously. Although despite all of his claimed were ridiculous, not one of them had been a lie. Instead of trying to sort through the confusion he turned his thoughts to his patients, the blond teenaged boy.  
  
Yamato Ishida, lead singer of the Teenage Wolves. Pulse: erratic. Breathing: through a tube.  
  
He turned to the girl, Sora Takenouchi. Pulse: slowed. Breathing: shortened breaths.  
  
"I want the medical records on the both of them, including any medications or hospitalizations." He focused on Ken. "Where are the others?"  
  
"Why?" The Kaiser snapped.  
  
"Because I want to see them."  
  
"No!" Guvin grabbed Ken by the front of his shirt. "Unhand me," the Kaiser ordered calmly. He didn't fear Guvin. Although if it did get down to a fistfight, Guvin could easily overpower him. But the doctor wouldn't fight. "You are in no position to make demands."  
  
"You dragged me here to have me play doctor with some kids you fucked up! I think I'm bring charitable, so return the favor!"  
  
"I didn't drag you! I gave you a choice." Three menacing looking Bakumon appeared. "Unhand me."  
  
With a heavy, frustrated sigh Guvin let Ken go with a hard shove. "Leave Ken. I need to attend to my patients," he growled.  
  
"As you wish, Guvin." Ken walked over and picked up the slumbering Kari before walking out. The other boy, still sleeping, didn't stir.  
  
Letting out another frustrated sigh, Guvin returned to his new patient's sides.  
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It was painfully obvious Kari was gone. He knew this, even with his eyes closed. His lap, which had pillowed her head, was free of weight and closed. He had been awake when Ken had taken her and he did nothing to stop him. Not that he could, but it still just felt like he was abandoning her.  
  
There was someone else in the room. He could hear the rustling from them as they hustled around the room. But who else was there? It couldn't be Ken; the Kaiser made no sound, he was like a tiger, silent and swift. This person made no attempt to ease his steps.  
  
Izzy eased open one eye. The person was a medium height young man with brown hair and glasses. Definitely not the Kaiser. He opened his eyes the rest of the way and began to watch the man. For a moment he was stopped. He leaned against Matt's bed with his eyes closed, muttering something to himself. Izzy pushed himself off the cot and cleared his throat. The man looked up at him.  
  
'What do a say now?' "Hi," Izzy greeted, dumbly.  
  
The man swallowed hard and stared at Izzy. "You a DigiDestined?"  
  
"Yeah, who are you?" Izzy snapped. Who was this guy? If he worked for the Kaiser…  
  
"My name is Joseph Guvin. Ken brought me here to treat your friends. And you are?"  
  
"Izzy Izumi. Nice to meet you Mr. Guvin. Are you a doctor?"   
  
"Yes," Guvin nodded.   
  
"You're treating them?" Izzy gestured to Matt and Sora. Guvin nodded. "Are they going to be alright?"  
  
"I dunno. I think Yamato may have eternal bleeding, but I can't be sure. Sora has overworked her body and she's just in desperate need of rest. Her burns have become infected though and that is a problem."  
  
"But…you'll s-save Matt…right?" The pair looked up to see Sora pushing herself up.  
  
"Sora." Izzy moved toward her.  
  
"You'll save Matt, right?" Her arms supporting her up began to shake under the weight.  
  
"Sora, lay down," Izzy commanded her softly.  
  
"No! Answer my question!" She demanded.  
  
Guvin stared at her like a deer caught in headlights. He had never seen such a young girl hurt in such a way. Nor had he seen someone so sick so determined. Izzy elbowed him in the side. "Oh, uh, yes I'll try."  
  
She let her arms slip from under herself and Izzy laid her down. "Who are you?" She asked, her voice cracking as she spoke. Izzy helped her get propped up on two pillows.  
  
"His name is Joseph Guvin, he's a doctor. He's going to help you and Matt," Izzy explained.  
  
She leaned in. "Are we still in the Digital World?" Izzy nodded. "What's he doing here?"  
  
He leaned closer to her ear. "Ken brought him."  
  
"Why?" She growled.  
  
"I don't know. He wants us alive." She nodded and he pulled away to find Guvin watching them with curious eyes. "Mr. Guvin is there anything you need, because if you're willing to help us, we'll do anything."  
  
"I want answers," Guvin replied. "I want to know what the hell this place is and what Ken has become."  
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She sat at his feet with her head rested on his leg while he typed away at his computer. He stopped typing and looked down at her. She looked more run down then ever. Her shoulder length brown fell around her face, nearly covering her lost and vacant brown eyes. She was dressed in what looked like just a pile of clothes. A giant sized dark blue shirt sat over a second deep red one that went down to her knees and covered her hands. A pair of black pants rolled over twice covered her bottom half. He felt bad about not having anything that fit her, they were even big on him, but it was all he had brought with him. Before he had come to the Digital World permanently he had stocked up on things, meaning he had brought stuff from his house no one would miss. His brother's clothes.  
  
Her hands, hidden by her sleeves, twisted the sleeves and pulled at them as she stared into space. "Hikari?" He called to her in a hushed voice and the computer disappeared from in front of him. She didn't even notice. He sighed and rubbed his forehead. In his mind the Kaiser's anger flared with every glance at her. It felt like acid in his mind and gave him a splitting headache. He set a hand on her shoulder. "Hikari, come stand up." She nodded, mumbled something that sounded like okay and stood up. His mind started to burn again as the Kaiser growled at her. 'Useless girl! Waste of a dark spore! A waste of my time.' "Hikari," Ken struggled. "I want you to go to Koushiro. Alright?" She stared at the floor. The Kaiser's anger boiled as he struck her across the face, sending her to the floor. "Take her to Koushiro!" He screamed at the Apemon who escorted her everywhere she went. . The Apemon scrambled over and scooped her up off the floor. He quickly ran from the room. 'See what you did to her!' Ken screamed as the pain escalated in his head.  
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Guvin didn't speak for a moment. Then, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Huh?" Izzy asked.  
  
"What's going on? Why are you and your friends here?"  
  
"What you're asking for is the purpose of the DigiDestined or why me and my friends are the DigiDestined?"   
  
"Both."  
  
"The purpose of the DigiDestined is to protect the Digital World," Izzy explained.  
  
"But can't Digimon protect themselves? They do have those powers and stuff," Guvin asked.  
  
"Yes, but it's the same thing with humans. Normal people can protect themselves, maniacs run around with guns everyday. But yet we still have the army." Guvin nodded in understanding. "We were picked as the DigiDestined because we were born to be. It was our destiny."  
  
"Okay, then what's going on between you and Ken?"   
  
"You've entered a war, Mr. Guvin," Izzy replied. "Between us, the DigiDestined, and Ken, the Digimon Kaiser. He has the ability to control life forms in the Digital World and we were trying to stop him." His eyes turned to Sora. "But we lost. Right now we've been torn apart and we're picking up the pieces."  
  
"Explain from the beginning," Guvin begged. "You keep telling me things, but it doesn't give me any idea what's happening or how to help."  
  
"Because you're here to be a doctor!" Izzy yelled at him. "There is no way for you to help except for helping them!" He pointed at Sora and Matt. "If you want to help, leave the fighting to us!"  
  
"What happened?" Guvin asked, his tone steady despite Izzy's yelling.   
  
"About a year ago the Kaiser showed up in the Digital World. He was killing and controlling digimon, making them hurt each other. We came back to the Digital World to stop him. Then Kari got left behind in the Digital World and he saved her. She got hit by a digimon's attack and out friends left her behind. The Kaiser has been taking care of her from what I've heard from his slaves. Then he got Joe and it pushed us over the edge. We had been staying idle because he threatened to hurt her if we came into the DigiWorld. But that was it, we went to the DigiWorld and we had a huge battle and we lost. He outnumbered and out powered us."  
  
Guvin shook his head. "None of this sounds like Ken." He looked at Sora. "He wouldn't hurt anyone like this!"  
  
"Maybe not, but I didn't say it was Ken. I said the Kaiser," Izzy responded cryptically.  
  
"You lost me." Izzy pushed up his sleeve to show a dark ring. "That's what was on the digimon."  
  
"Yep. It makes them his slaves. Its an almost unbreakable metal that's been encoded to follow the Kaiser's voice and commands."  
  
"Why is it on you?" Guvin asked suspiciously.  
  
"Because the Kaiser needed my help and he knew I wouldn't help him otherwise. But its broken so I don't have to follow his orders, just pretend I do. He has me investigating an object called a dark spore. He put one in Kari and now it's destroying her mind. It's going to kill her within a week, two at the most. And he knows it."  
  
Guvin's eyes widened behind his thin framed glasses. "Then why'd put it in her if it would kill her?"  
  
"Because he didn't know," Izzy answered. "Ken, the real Ken was infected with a dark spore when he was six."  
  
"When his brother died," Guvin mumbled to himself.  
  
Izzy nodded, "Because his brother died."  
  
"What?"  
  
"There's one more world that we know of. It's called the 'Dark World'. The Dark World feeds off dark energy. Depression, sadness, anger, hate. All of it. And Ken was full of those. So he was pulled into the Dark World. And a dark spore infected him. The dark spore created the Kaiser. The Kaiser is like a secondary being in Ken's mind."  
  
"It made him schizophrenic?" Guvin retorted skeptically.   
  
"No. When a person is schizophrenic they lose touch with reality and they hallucinate figures. Ken knows what's going on, he has all sense of reality. And the Kaiser is fully real. The Kaiser is a presence; it's a mind with out a body. It can think all on it own, it just needs to inhabit a person. Dark energy makes him stronger and it grows and feeds and incubates in a body until it can take over. Ken has been fully taken over by the Kaiser."  
  
"Can he be saved?" Guvin demanded. "Can't you get that thing out of him?"  
  
"I don't know," Izzy replied.  
  
Guvin ran a hand through his tangled brown hair; he really hadn't bothered to comb his short mop before leaving this morning. "Why didn't it effect Kari in the same way?" He force out with his eyes closed.  
  
"Kari's crest-"  
  
"Crest?"  
  
"Her symbol, what she represents as a DigiDestined. Its what gives her digimon strength. We all have one. Mine is Knowledge, Sora's is Love, and Matt's is Friendship. Kari's is Light."  
  
"Hikari means light," Guvin pointed out, mostly for himself.  
  
Izzy nodded. "It's a fitting name for her. Because Kari is light she has little darkness in her for the spore to feed on. So it's eating at her mind. It's destroying her." In the bed Sora closed her eyes as tears flooded them. She remembered how Kari looked yesterday, empty and lifeless.  
  
"What are her symptoms?" Guvin asked in his very professional doctor tone.  
  
"She's lost her memory, both long and short term. She's lost all ability to learn, she's starting to lose motor functions. Her hands constantly shake, she can't hold things. Dressing has become a problem that has turned very uncomfortable for me. And her vocabulary, if she speaks at all." Sora let out a choking sob and Izzy rubbed his head as he let out a heavy sigh. "She's becoming mentally retarded."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"DON'T BE SORRY!" Izzy screamed in frustration. "Don't be sorry! Just help them! Make them better." He gestured to Matt and Sora. "Just don't be sorry. Pity and words mean nothing in this world!"  
  
"Guvin nodded and swallowed hard.  
  
"Izzy," Sora forced painfully.  
  
He looked up at her. "Huh?" She gestured toward the doorway. Kari stood there with an Apemon behind her. "What?" Izzy demanded, his tone cold.  
  
"The master told me to bring her here."  
  
'The master,' Izzy thought, his mind burning with pure hatred. Fine." The Apemon nodded and went to stand by the door. "You can leave," Izzy growled.  
  
"But-"  
  
"You can leave!" The Apemon bowed reluctantly and left. "Hikari." She stared at the floor, looking detached. "Excuse me," he whispered, voice tight. He walked over to her and walked her over to a cot where they had slept last night.   
  
Guvin searched her face for something different. She was the same, except her glasses were gone. Now he could see how inhumanly blank her eyes were. At least before they showed pain, but now…he doubted she felt anything.  
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Okay, it was an uneventful chapter, sorry. A lot of explanation. I hope you liked it. I'm going to try to work on a new chapter of Broken for all those waiting, but it's a hard write so I don't know when it will be out. The next chapter of Savior might be the last, we'll see. I just thought I'd warn you.  
  
Please review. 


	12. Hate To Die

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon  
  
  
Savior  
  
  
Dying. He hated the word. He hated the concept. He hated it more then anything. Death he would handle. But the entire concept, feeling your strength start to fade, feeling the darkness overwhelm your sight, having to wait for the end. The entire idea terrified him.  
  
He had only dealt with death twice. Once when he was ten and his dad was diagnosed with cancer, he waited a year and a half for death to end his suffering. Then when he was a medical student and studied the care of a four year old who had been in a car accident. She had gone in under four days.  
  
He hated the thought of dying. And he hated to deal with the dying.  
  
Did this world have no mercy? Didn't it see all the suffering, the pain, and the loneliness? It's like…a whole other earth. And he could barely stand it.  
  
Within forty-eight hours things had gone from bad to terrible for the girl. Being too stubborn to rest, her wavering health had plummeted over night. She had refused sleep in case any emergency with Matt, then her exhaustion turned to fever and still she refused sleep. They had to drug her to force her to rest.  
  
Maybe that's how the DigiDestined were. Stubborn to a fault.  
  
Or superhuman.  
  
There had been no change in Matt. Some might think that was a good thing, as long as he wasn't falling farther from them it would be okay. That was not the case. The more time he spent breathing off that machine, the less of a chance there was he'd ever get off of it.  
  
"Mr. Guvin, aren't you going to eat dinner?" Guvin looked up from a cold plate of food to see Izzy sitting beside Sora. The red faced girl he attended to seemed not the hard headed beauty who had refused sleep and medication so she could stand watch over her bishonen boyfriend. Now she was but a child who now needed Koushiro to feed her and give her drink.  
  
"Mr. Guvin," Izzy repeated.  
  
"I'm fine, Izzy. Thank you."  
  
"If you don't eat Mr. Guvin your food will go cold."  
  
"Yours already has," was his mumbled retort. Izzy frowned and turned away to wipe Sora's brow with. "Do you like her?"  
  
Izzy looked up at him. "What?"  
  
"Well, I'm just trying to understand why you spend every waking moment over her. Your yourself have not rested or eaten in two days." Izzy snorted in disbelief. "Do you love her?"  
  
"Yes," Izzy replied softly. "I love her as any friend would. And if I could do anything for Matt, I would." Izzy stood up from the bed and walked over to the table that Guvin sat at. He plopped himself into a chair across from him. "We, the DigiDestined, have been friends since the summer of 1999. We trust each other; we would give our lives for each other. No matter what. If I could I would take Matt's place in a heartbeat. Our bonds are unbreakable. We know every dirty little secret, every possible habit. This is the way we are. We're a team and we're a family."  
  
"That's incredible."  
  
"What is?"  
  
"The relationship you and your friends have established in a matter of four years is deeper then a normal person or family could active in a lifetime."  
  
"Is that so?" Izzy mused with a smile.  
  
"You think that's funny?"  
  
"I think it's interesting. Your amazed, its common place for me." He stood up abruptly. "Which reminds me, Ken wants an update on Kari. He'll want one on Sora and Matt too, so be forewarned."  
  
"But you didn't eat."  
  
"I'm not hungry." He glanced nervously over at his friends in the corner, looking as if he was terrified to leave.  
  
"They'll be here when you get back. It's not like their going anywhere."  
  
Izzy walked toward the door and pulled it open. He paused halfway out. "Its not them leaving that's the problem." He started to close the door. "And you know it."  
  
Guvin sighed. Did he also mention he hated dealing with those who survived the dying?  
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Izzy knelt before the Kaiser on one knee, his head bowed in false respect. The Kaiser typed away at his mid air keyboard, uncaring of Izzy's presence. Finally, after at least ten, the Kaiser stopped typing and looked to Izzy as his slave's knee began to ache. "What do you have for me?" Involuntarily Izzy's grip on the papers in his hand tightened. "Speak!"  
  
"There is no way that I can find to save Hikari," he forced, his throat tight and voice high. It took all his strength to keep his voice steady.  
  
The Kaiser physically tensed, not because of his own surprise, but because of the uproar Ken caused inside his head. He was half tempted to grab his hair and pull as an attempt to stop Ken. But he wouldn't give his slave the pleasure.  
  
"Is there no hope?"  
  
Izzy looked up from the floor, momentarily forgetting to stay in character. He lowered his eyes quickly. "I would like to keep looking. I don't want to give up on her yet?"  
  
The Kaiser cracked the whip over Izzy's head. The red head grimaced. "I know you aren't my slave. I know that the ring I put on you is inoperative. Get up." Izzy forced himself to his feet, unsure to the Kaiser's new revelation. "I want you know I don't like this idea, but Hikari trusts you and I'm afraid if the ring did work she wouldn't. I also don't want you to place you back with your friends because you know too much." He smirked. "And I'm sure you wouldn't want the ring off since it would make you mute and gimpy once again."  
  
"Your right," Izzy grumbled. "So you trust me still to walk around as I have? You aren't scared I may try something?"  
  
"Not scared. I don't fear you. And no, I'm not troubled by the thought of you still at free range around my base. I know you won't try anything because there are too many lives at stake. Matt is on a breathing machine supplied by me, Guvin doesn't know how to handle this world, your friends are still locked away, and Kari still trusts me over you. You won't try anything." He got up from his seat. "So don't cop an attitude with me, because you won't be the one suffering, you'll be the one to watch."  
  
"Yes…master," Izzy grimaced.  
  
The Kaiser walked by him chuckling. "Good slave." He plucked the papers from Izzy's hand and left. Izzy growled angrily before walking out.  
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"Kari!" He jumped up from his nightmarish dream to find a solid dark room. He blinked, trying to clear the darkness from his vision. 'Where…what…' His breathing quickened even more when he realized where he was. "No…"  
  
He pushed himself off the floor and steadied himself against the wall he had used as support as he slept. His blanket piled at his feet and he kicked it away before raising his head to the ceiling. He couldn't take this anymore. He was all alone in a room full of people. Everyone who he cherished the most, who gave him comfort, was gone.  
  
Sobbing pulled him from his stint of self-pity and he stepped forward. The sobbing instantly stopped. "Tai?" He called out.  
  
"Oh….TK, its only you…" A light by the bed flickered on and Tai appeared distraught, hunched over, and beaten in the dim light of the single lamp. "I couldn't sleep…if I woke you up I'm sorry…I was just-"  
  
"Shut up Tai," TK snapped.  
  
"Yeah…"  
  
"So, how long has it been since Izzy came by?" He asked, desperate for conversation. His voice cracked and sounded froggy. He hadn't spoke in a few days, just cried and sat by himself.  
  
"He came by the two days after he took your brother and Sora. It was around midnight I assume." TK felt a knot in his throat; it made it hard to breath. "He said that Sora was getting worse and there's no change in Matt. There's a doctor taking care of them. The Kaiser brought him from the real world."  
  
"Is he good?"  
  
Tai looked at the door and then back at TK. "He said that Dr. Guvin has no idea what the hell he's doing here in the Digital World, but he's a good doctor and a fine man. I don't think you have anything to worry about."  
  
"Yeah, nothing," TK muttered bitterly.  
  
"I'm not going to pretend that until I get Kari back I don't hate you. You and your friends got us into this mess." Tai subconsciously touched the growing bump on his forehead. An earlier scrap had gotten him thrown into a walk by an Apemon. "But for right now we've got to live true to what we are, the DigiDestined, the protectors of the Digital World. We've got to keep HOPING that we will get out of here. Because we will."  
  
"Right Tai…" He sighed. "Your right Tai…"  
  
"Get some sleep TK," Tai ordered.  
  
"I can't. I don't want to." He closed his eyes and leaned against the wall. "I have to get out of here."  
  
Tai stood up. "What if we did?"  
  
"Um…what?"  
  
Tai jumped over the bed, careful to avoid Cody, Joe and Mimi who had scrunched together so Tai and Cody could lay down too. Not that the pair really minded. Cody however did not enjoy sleeping on the bed while his friends lay on the floor, but they had insisted and he couldn't refuse.  
  
"I've got an idea that might help us get out of here. But we can't all go. So now it's just between you and me. Now listen…"  
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He hated himself. He hated what he was going to ask. Was this a solution? Was it just buying time? Was dying still unavoidable, just postponed?   
  
Yet he pushed himself to walk faster. Why did this seem to be the only solution? Was this what they would want? No…  
  
Just do it…Stop thinking and give them a chance at life…  
  
But was it really a life? The Kaiser wouldn't make them like him.  
  
The debate shook him to his very soul and raged in his mind. That is why he didn't vote. He left it up to Tai and TK and it had become anonymous. They hadn't gone to the others with this. Tai thought it would be best if not all of them knew.  
  
He pushed into the Kaisers throne/computer room. The Kaiser sat typing at his airborne computer while Kari sat by his feet, totally zoned. He stopped before the Kaiser and cleared his throat. The possessed boy looked up at him. "Yes?"  
  
"Why is it that this dark ring fixed my voice and limp?" Izzy asked.  
  
The Kaiser lifted his hands from the keyboard and it disappeared. "I'm not sure exactly. Why?" The Kaiser was in control. Izzy could tell by the lightness in his voice.  
  
"Because…" He took a deep breath. "Do you think it could help Matt and Sora?"  
  
"Most likely." Ken cocked his head to the side. "Do you want me to use one on them?" Izzy forced a nod as he cast his eyes to the floor. "I'm not going to make them like you. Sora, Love would know better, but Friendship would risk your lives to escape and save them."  
  
Izzy stared at the floor. "I know. I understand. But this is what I…want."  
  
"You discussed this with your friends, correct?" Izzy opened his mouth to disagree, but shut it again with a nod of his head. "Alright, give me a minute." Ken didn't seem to like what he was going to do, but a light in his eyes reminded Izzy the Kaiser was still there, willing to do the dirty work. The tap-tap-tap of his fingertips against the keys resonated through the room. Two dark spirals appeared before Izzy. Regretfully he reached out and took them in his hands. They were surprisingly light.  
  
Ken jumped down from his chair, which sat on a two-foot high pedestal. Gently he pulled Kari down beside him. Taking her hand, he looked at Izzy with momentarily sad and remorseful eyes. The Kaiser masked them over in a second. "Come on." He led Izzy down the hall to the medical room where Guvin looked up from the breathing machine by Matt's side. Izzy refused to look up at him as Ken left Kari by the door and took on of the spirals. Ken walked by Guvin, also refusing to look at him, and the click of the spiral being locked was the only and first sound Izzy heard in the room. Out of the corner of his eye Izzy saw Sora whipped her head toward Matt and Ken. Her eyes widened. He walked over to her and she just shook her head, she lost her voice yesterday.  
  
"Please…" She strained. He grabbed her arm; just she began to fight desperately. He grabbed both of them and locked the spiral on one arm with a click. "Izzy…Izzy please." Her voice cracked. Her eyes filled with tears and fear.  
  
"Dark Spiral activate," the Kaiser whispered. In an instant Sora went limp in his hands.   
  
He stepped back, breathing fast to try and cover up a sob that threatened to erupt from his throat as he stared at her. "M-make them get up."  
  
"But-"  
  
Izzy looked over at Guvin. "Take the breathing mask off Matt. Confused Guvin looked to Ken who only nodded. "Now make them do something!" He yelled, unconcerned that it was the potential Kaiser he was yelling at. "See if it worked!"  
  
"Okay," Ken sighed in defeat. "Slaves. Get up." Matt suddenly bolted up, blue eyes tinted with red, struggling to breathe. He coughed and sucked in air in a struggle. Sora sat up shaking as he red eyes whipped around the room. Slowly Matt's breathing became steady and Sora's eyes fell upon Izzy and Ken. "Speak!"  
  
"What is it you bid of us?" The pair asked in unison.  
  
"Is that what you wanted Knowledge?" Ken asked bitterly. "I will leave them to you." He turned to the pair. "He is your master, not me. Follow his order." With that the blue haired boy left, grabbing Kari's hand as he did.  
  
From where he stood, in taken aback by his patient's sudden recovery, Guvin watched as Izzy crumpled to the floor sobbing.  
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He wept bitterly, shaking and hugging himself as he rocked back and forth. Why…why had he done what Koushiro had wanted? Why did she beg like that? No…why did he have to live.  
  
He felt two arms wrap around his bare chest and someone kiss his cheek where a hot tear rolled down. He opened his eyes to see Kari holding him tightly. He pressed face into her shoulder, brushing his face against the soft nightgown she wore.  
  
"Ken, its okay," she whispered. His breath caught in his throat. She was talking, coherently at that. "It'll be okay."  
  
He pulled away. "Kari?" He felt like sobbing all over again. But he just stared at her in shock.  
  
"Don't cry?" She whispered.   
  
"I can't stop…I can't…" He whispered softly and leaned against her.   
  
"It'll be okay."  
  
He lay down on the bed, still holding her. She whispered 'it'll be okay' again just trying to get it through his head as his tears kept falling. Slowly he bad to slip into a nightmare-ish slumber.  
  
He sat up with a jump, trying to figure out what happened. He scrubbed his face with his fingers. Kari had…  
  
His eyes snapped to Kari who slept beside him. Had she…? But… She was asleep…it must have been a dream…it had to have been a dream…  
  
Kari...............  
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TK stared at the window, his mouth a thin line across his features. Outside was pitch black. Perfect. Beside him Tai stared out too. "Alright," Tai breathed. "One…Two…THREE!" The pair rocketed forward and propelled out the glass window. Glass stabbed into them as fell through the frozen bitter air and landed with a hard crunch in the snow. Despite the pain the two took off across the snowy wasteland.  
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Cool, ne? I got a really really really cool idea for the next chapter, its gonna rock! Muhaha, someone might die. Might. Have I got you interested? Well, I'm on summer vacation so I'll try and get it out soon. Later dayz, don't forget to review. 


	13. Everything Falls Apart

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon  
  
  
Savior  
  
  
"Every inch of the Kaiser's base is guarded to the very maximum with Apemon, Bakumon, RedVeggiemon, and an assortment of other strong digimon. There is also video camera through every room. Except one room where you will not find an authorized digimon within a twenty-foot radius. His throne room."  
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TK watched as Tai gathered all the supplies they would need. Rope, a gag, three first aide kits…  
  
He pulled his attention away from the older boy who walked stiffly around Tai's apartment to the back door. They both were ecstatic to be home, but they had waited for Tai's parents to leave before entering the apartment. No need to get here, explain, and then leave.  
  
The radio buzzed in the background. Tai thought it would be a good idea to catch up on what was happening. "In other news the eleven children missing from Odiaba, Japan still have not been located. Hikari and Taichi Yagami, Takeru Takaishi, Yamato Ishida, Sora Takenouchi, Mimi Tachikwa, Jou Kido, Koushiro Izumi, Daisuke Motomiya, Miyako Inoue, and Iori Hida have all been missing for three months. No ransom note was ever sent to the parents or retrieved from the crime scene, the house of the Inoue's where the eleven children were last seen. All charges against the Inoue's as suspects were dropped. As of tomorrow they will be listed under police records as deceased." (SO I have no idea how police records work, so sue me!)  
  
A 'thud' pulled his attention from the window to Tai. The boy was on his knee's sobbing into his hands and shaking his head. TK bit his lip and gingerly touched the bulge in the waistband of his shorts, under his shirt. (For any sick perverts out there, fuck off. It's not what you think.)  
  
Tomorrow the Kaiser will be sorry for everything he has done.  
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Izzy sat at the laptop supplied to him by the Kaiser, typing until his eyes throbbed and fingers became sore. The black notebook glowed with a soft light, lighting his section of the dim room. The majority of the lights were off for Matt and Sora were asleep on one of the beds. Izzy had order them to sleep, their bodies were still not completely recovered.  
  
He pulled his eyes from the laptop and to his friends. They both slept on their sides, Sora's back to Matt's front. Matt had his arm looped over her. On his wrist Izzy could see the dark spiral that had taken over his mind.  
  
The only other light in the room came from a reading light above the cot in the corner where Guvin sat reading a stack of papers. They were medical files on Kari, Ken, Sora and Matt. Plus copies of all the information on the dark spores.  
  
Izzy swallowed hard and rubbed his eyes. Guvin had not talked to him since the dark spore incident. He had watched Izzy put the dark spiral on Sora and Ken do the same to Matt. He didn't believe that was a solution. He hated Izzy.  
  
Izzy turned back to his seat and continued typing. No need to torture himself with a reminder that Guvin loathed him. He needed to work. For Ken and for Kari and… He paled. Could this be real? He finally hit the jackpot and words began to appear on the screen, line after line of black characters, words even he could barely make out. But the ones he could pick out gave him more information then he wanted to know.  
  
He twisted around in his seat and looked up at Guvin. "Mr. Guvin, how do you know Ken?"  
  
Guvin looked up and restrained a glare at Izzy. He hated the red haired boy for what he had done and what Matt and Sora were being subjected to as slaves. If only he had been giving more time…ah who the hell was he fooling, there was never any hope for the pair.  
  
"What?" He asked calmly.  
  
"How do you know Ken? How did you meet him?"  
  
Guvin set his reading material aside. "The Ichijouji's were probably my first loyal patients. When I first opened the Kimino clinic, my clinic, I had no clientele, and they were a poor family. My clinic specialized in families of need, at the time the Ichijouji family could be considered poor. I've known Ken's family even before he was born. I've always been the family doctor."  
  
Izzy's grip on the back of his chair tightened. "So, would you call yourself a close friend of the family?" Guvin nodded. "Then you'd probably be opposed to him being killed, right?"  
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TK paced back and forth in front of the glowing computer with the DigiPort pulled up on the screen. Tai sat on the floor beside the door that was open just a crack. The light shone on his face as he stared into space, listening to his parents move around in silence in the living room. He had his arms and knees hugged to his chest as he held back a sob. His parents come home, trapping him and TK in his room, as according to the plan. But then they had listened to them spend the last forty minutes fighting then in complete silence. TK could help but feel sorry for Tai who had forced himself to listen to his parents' conversation. This entire ordeal had really strained their marriage.   
  
Only ten more minutes and they could leave. Tonight they would free they're friends. Tonight the Kaiser would be nothing more the digi-dust. Tonight the DigiDestined would rise again.  
  
The beeping of Tai's digivice erupted through the room. TK locked eyes with Tai as the beeping rattled their ears.  
  
"What's that?" Tai's mother asked. Their footsteps came towards the room.  
  
'Shit.' TK lunged for digivice on the bed and rolled off it onto the floor between the bed and the wall. The door opened and light flooded the room. TK held his breath as he pressed the digivice into his shirt, muffling the beeping. The light shut off again and TK struggled to get out from his hiding spot squashed between the bed and the wall. He was stuck.  
  
The groan of someone sitting down on the mattress made TK hold his breath once more before he felt someone pull him out. TK met Tai's eyes. "That's our cue." They walked over to the computer, Tai pulling a backpack over his shoulder. "Let's go."  
  
TK held up his digivice. "DigiPort open."  
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Izzy stood in the hallway just outside the Kaiser's bedroom, taking a deep breath. He had to calm down, he was scared to death. So many things could go wrong on this one chance; so many lives were at stake. Why had Tai coned him into this plan?  
  
He took another breath and knocked on the door to the Kaiser's room. There was shuffling and grumbling heard from inside before the door opened. Ken stood there, hair in disarray and sleep on his face. Over his shoulder, Izzy could see Kari sitting up in Ken's bed. He had to wonder, with slight disgust, what the Kaiser did to her.  
  
"What's wrong?" He asked sleepily. Kari walked up behind him.  
  
"There's something wrong with the system," he forced. "I can't find the glitch from my computer. I was hoping you could-"  
  
"Knowledge, its one in the morning," the Kaiser interrupted, one eyebrow cocked. "Can't this wait until morning?"  
  
Izzy glanced at Kari again. "But…I had a break through. About Kari."  
  
The Kaiser paused. "Okay, let me get dressed." He went back inside, closing the door behind himself. Izzy stepped back from the door, heart pounding in his chest so hard it hurt, sweat rolling down his back and hands shaking. How the hell had he pulled that off so calmly? He slumped against the wall, trying to remember how to breathe.  
  
The door opened once again and Izzy jumped to his feet. The Kaiser stepped out dressed in khakis and a deep purple shirt. Kari stepped out behind him in jeans and a sweatshirt. "Alright," the ruling boy acknowledged, taking a step toward his control room. Kari followed suit.  
  
Wait, no, no, no. She couldn't come!  
  
"Wait, Hikari, why don't you stay here and get some sleep? You really won't be much help."  
  
Kari stopped and looked back and forth between the Kaiser and Izzy. He looked at Izzy. "Its fine, I'm sure she'll be fine."  
  
"But master," Izzy gritted calmly. "It's late."  
  
The Kaiser stared at Izzy with burning violet eyes. "Its fine. There is no reason to question me."  
  
Izzy averted his eyes as his heart pounded in his ears. "Yes…" he forced. "Master."  
  
The Kaiser turned on his heel and strode down the hall with Kari behind him. Izzy followed and fell into step beside Kari. She stared at him with blank brown eyes that only reminded him there was no one there anymore and it made him want to scream. But instead he smiled. She just looked at him as if she didn't know what he was doing.  
  
The door to the Kaiser's control room loomed in front of them. It was a mass of wood, looking to weight a ton, with deep markings and designs etched into its surface. It looked massive, but in truth it was light as a feather.  
  
The Kaiser pulled it open and Izzy held his breath as his stepped in. On instinct he grabbed Kari, holding his hand over her mouth and his arm around her neck as she struggled. Her hands unsuccessfully clawed at him. Two bodies lunged at and tackled the Kaiser. In a blur of brown and blonde the Kaiser was on the ground, screaming as he was sat on.  
  
"YOU!" He raged as he met the face of the lead boy. "Unhand me you stupid oaf!"  
  
"Shut up!" Tai ordered as he punched the Kaiser in the nose. He repeated the action until Izzy had to jump up and grab Tai's fist in mid air. He had dropped Kari, unnoticed by her brother or TK. "Izzy let go of me! Let me kill him."  
  
"No Tai!"  
  
"He deserves to die!" Tai screamed, his voice breaking. His fist dripped with blood as he sat on the Kaiser's chest, pinning his arms down with his knees. Dark red blood rolled from the Kaiser's nose and lip.  
  
"Tai, you can't kill him. You know that!"  
  
"But Kari-" That's when the older boy lost it. Tears bled from his eyes, creating a river down his tan cheeks. He buried his face in his hands, smearing the Kaiser's blood across his face.  
  
"HIKARI, DON'T MOVE!" The Kaiser ordered weakly. The three DigiDestined boys' heads snapped up to see Kari frozen in place.  
  
"Ka-Kari…" Tai started to get up, but TK pushed he back onto the Kaiser. The Kaiser let out a grunt as Tai landed on his chest hard. Kari took another step towards them.  
  
"Hikari, do as your told!" Izzy screamed at her. She froze in step and Tai just stared at her, holding back tears.  
  
"Why won't she look at me? What's wrong with her?!" Tai bawled.  
  
"She doesn't know who you are," Izzy replied. "Tai, forget she's here. We're dealing with Ken."  
  
"But-"  
  
Ken sucked in air in a labored fashion as he felt the Kaiser drift in and out of control, mocking him. "This is why I will always beat you," the Kaiser reared up at full force, mocking Tai. "You can't focus. You can't take advantage of an opportunity. You're a worthless lea-" He was interrupted by a fist to his nose. It cracked. He cried out in pain. Or at least Ken did, the Kaiser sheltered himself from pain, deep inside Ken's head. Tears rolled down his cheeks. He couldn't take this kind of beating.  
  
"You don't know when to shut up, do you?! You smart mouth asshole." Tai slammed his fist into Ken's mouth and the boy began to choke on his own blood.  
  
"Tai fuck, let him go!" Izzy screamed, holding Tai's fists.  
  
The Kaiser jumped to control. "Yeah, let me go. See what happens. I'll kill you; I'll kill all your friends. You'll never make it back."  
  
Tai's eyes flashed and nostrils flared, but Izzy held his fists. "Tai," Izzy whispered, leaning over. "Remember what I told you. This isn't the boy in this body. Something has taken control of him. If there is a way to save him and we find it later, how will you feel to know you killed an innocent boy who couldn't fight back?"  
  
"I know…" Tai choked back a sob.  
  
The Kaiser had disappeared from Ken's mind again, leaving him to take the pain he was going through. His nose was broken, his lip was split at least twice, and his eyes were going to be black tomorrow. And tears rolled down his face. It hurt so much. 'Why?' He asked fruitlessly. 'Why do you want them to kill me?'  
  
"Why won't you kill him?" TK voice erupted through the silence that was taken over by Tai's sobs. He jumped to his feet off Ken's legs.  
  
Izzy looked up at Tai. "You didn't tell him?" Tai shook his head. Izzy looked up at TK who looked exhausted and angry. And most of all with out hope (I know the lines been used a billion times, but come on, this is TK.) "TK, Ken, the Kaiser, he-"  
  
"I don't wanna know. I don't want to know anything until he's dead!" Tears filled his icy blue eyes. They had become so hard after spending those long hours watching Matt and Sora. He pulled a metallic object from the waistband of his pants. Izzy jumped back, letting go of Tai's fist, which dropped to his side. They both stared at the gun in TK's hand. "And he dies now."  
  
Izzy stood up, slowing, fearing the now insane blond boy. "TK, what are you doing with that?"  
  
"I'm sick I've worrying about him being human while we're being beaten by digimon who need target practice. I'm sick of this war that no matter how many wins we have, he still laughs and keeps coming. There are too many causalities, too many live to keep fighting so futilely. He needs to be dealt with." He cocked the gun as he screamed. "He needs to be terminated."  
  
"TK NO!" Izzy screamed.  
  
"Fuck off, Izzy," he growled, as he aimed the gun to level with Ken. Tai still sat on his chest, mouth open in shock. When had TK gotten a gun…they had been together the entire time in the real world. "Tai move!"  
  
Tai broke from his alarm after hearing his name. "No TK!"   
  
"Move!"  
  
"NO!"  
  
"Fine!"  
  
And then gunshot was all they heard before the thud and the grunt of pain. In the seconds that took forever to pass, Tai closed his eyes refusing to see the bullet enter the young boy he sat on. He opened his eyes to see another body on top of Ken, a smaller body, a body lost in clothes.  
  
"KARI!"  
  
His head snapped up upon hearing the name Izzy screamed. 'K-Kari?' His little baby sister, the one he had come to save?  
  
Izzy ran up and rolled the body off Ken. The face of Kari appeared, grimacing in pain as she choked a sob and fingers concealing a reddening hole in her stomach. Tai's eyes snapped to TK who dropped the gun as he stared at Kari, his best friend. His eyes widened as tears ran from them. He just shot Kari.  
  
Ken jumped to his feet, suddenly forgetting the pain that shot through his fists as the circulation restored to his arms and legs. He stared, opened mouth, at Kari squirming in pain on the floor. He looked over at the blond boy who also stared at Kari shock obvious in his icy blue eyes. Ken launched himself at him, anger fueling his aching body as the Kaiser laughed in his head.  
  
'Finally! Give yourself to the hate. Let it consume you. Feed off it!' The Kaiser near danced in his head, but he didn't hear.  
  
He knocked TK off his feet, sending the gun skidding across the floor. TK fell to the floor with a grunt as Ken pinned him down and landed a series of punches to his face. The blond did little to protect himself.  
  
'Kill him…he murder the girl you love…make him suffer…make all of them suffer…' The Kaiser kept fueling him with anger and hate.  
  
In one quick motion he jumped off TK and grabbed the gun. He held it up at the two boys sitting over Kari. "Get away from her!" Tai and Izzy both looked up at him. "Back the fuck away from her now!"  
  
Izzy got up and backed away, but Tai stayed still. "NO!" Tai screamed. "This is my sister!"  
  
Ken backed to the door holding the gun still poised at Tai. "GUARDS, here now!" He screamed out the door. Three Apemon stumbled over themselves to get into the room and stopped before the Kaiser, their eyes falling upon the gun. "Kill the DigiDestined. All of them." 'No, don't kill them,' the Kaiser argued. 'Make them suffer. Show them true pain.' He glanced over at Izzy. "Start with Friendship and Love. Make sure those two suffer the most." He smiled wickedly. Had he been fully conscious and not blinded by anger he would have realized he had not made himself smirk. Nor had the words come from his own mind. "And have these three bozos watch everything."  
  
"NO!" Tai screamed as he jumped to his feet to attack the Kaiser, but an Apemon knocked him to the floor. He was dragged fighting from the room. "Kari! Kari!" His voice echoed down the hall. Izzy was dragged off next. Finally TK was pulled out, still staring at Kari as blood began to pool around her.   
  
Turning his attention to Kari he knelt down beside her. He wanted to reach out and tell her it was gonna be okay, but couldn't. Something stopped him. So instead he picked her up and she cried out in pain as he whisked her down the hall. Oddly it was the first sound he had heard from her in over a week.  
  
He carried her down the hall with his mind on one thing. The DigiDestined would suffer.  
  
He entered the medical room and paused. He had entered just in time to see two Apemon ripping the black spirals off Matt and Sora. Matt fell to his hands and knees sucking in air. Or at least attempting too. Sora just stood there, looking around, looking disoriented. Her eyes locked on Matt as he choked on the ground but before she could rush to his side an arm from a Red Veggiemon wrapped around her neck. It pulled her to the ground, knocking the air out of her. Within seconds the DigiDestined pair were dragged out, leaving Guvin shocked and terrified. A Bukamon had thrown him to the ground.  
  
Ken deposited Kari on the bed and looked to Guvin. "Treat her," he ordered before he left.  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Screams echoed everywhere he went. Cries of pain. Screams of a girl. Sora. He desperately wanted to block them, but the Kaiser listened, fully enjoying the sound. He cried in pain. Why…why had he ordered it?   
  
'I want to make them stop.' He pleaded with the Kaiser. Something had become wrong…so very wrong. He couldn't move, couldn't breath. Almost couldn't think. …The screams were every where.  
  
'Too bad,' the Kaiser cackled.  
  
'You're in my body! Do as I say!'  
  
'No, you are in my body!'  
  
'What?'  
  
'Haven't you realized it? The Child of Light is dying! She was your only connection to humanity! You lost yourself in your anger and hatred. It was so overpowering I was able to take over. You are mine!'  
  
'No! Your lying.'  
  
'Move your hand.' He didn't even attempted, he knew the result. 'You couldn't do it.' The voice was taunting, but drowned out by another scream.  
  
'I want to check on Kari.'  
  
'No.'  
  
'Please!'  
  
His body stood up from his bed and walked faster then normal to the medical room. Anger and triumph radiated through him from the Kaiser. It burned at Ken. He entered the medical room and Guvin looked up from Kari. "KEN!" He screamed. "What the hell did you go? What happened? Where's Koushiro?"  
  
"Dying, I hope." The Kaiser growled.  
  
"Ken," Guvin gasped.  
  
"Don't call me that! Ken is dead. How is the girl?"  
  
"Not well, she really can't take the strain."  
  
"Let her die." Ken felt the last of his strength give. 'No…no!'  
  
Guvin stepped back. "Ken-"  
  
"My name is Kaiser. And I want you to leave my home." 'No!' Ken sobbed. 'Don't leave me alone.'  
  
"No," Guvin growled.  
  
Anger burned through the Kaiser and he leapt at Guvin. The older man struggled a bit, but the Kaiser was stronger, fast, and more determined. One carefully aimed punch caught the doctor on a pressure point in his chest, knocking him unconscious. And the Kaiser laughed.  
  
'Now let's see what Knowledge has been working on all this time.' He walked over to Koushiro's laptop, where papers were spewed. With his back turned he didn't even notice the gun aimed at his head.  
  
Until the bang.  
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	14. Gun Shots

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon  
  
  
Savior  
  
  
The thought 'Oh my god, I killed Kenny' slipped into his mind as he stared at the body on the floor and the gun smoking in his hand, still pointed towards the body. What would it be like to fire again?  
  
'It wasn't Ken,' the thinking portion of his brain screamed. 'Ken is there, so DON'T fire!'  
  
He let the gun fall to the floor with a clatter on the linoleum as he choked. "Ken," he whispered. Ken choked in response and blood dripped from his mouth. But his body still rose and fell with breath, just as Izzy said he would. Ken was not dead, just in comatose.   
  
Choking pulled him from his stare. His head snapped towards the bed in which Kari laid upon. Her body began to seizure as the blood that soaked her shirt and pooled on the sheets under her. She was going into shock, he realized as he rushed to her side.  
  
A scream echoed in his ears as he pressed a cloth against her stomach. It soaked through in seconds. His hands began to stain as he realized he couldn't save her alone, but if he left her, she might not make it to be saved when he returned. Uncertainly he stepped away from her, dropping the blood soaked bed sheet and raced down the hall to follow the screams of pain that echoed. They led him to a door, small and made of solid metal. He gave it a hard tug and slowly it inched open. When it was fully open he stepped inside, but immediately wished he hadn't.  
  
Sora and Matt were chained up as an Apemon and Veggiemon had their fun with them. The rest of the DigiDestined, a few he hadn't even met, stood or sat staring or sobbing, in a cage to the corner of the room. Sora and Matt cried and shook in pain.  
  
"STOP!" Guvin screamed. The Veggiemon and Apemon stopped and Matt and Sora went slack in pain. "I have shot your master and he," he pointed at Izzy who sat in a corner of the cage with his head on his knees, rocking back and forth, "is the only one who can save him." The Veggiemon and Apemon just looked at each other. "Release the DigiDestined before I allow your master to die." The Veggiemon quickly cut the ropes that held up the pair as the Apemon opened the cage. Guvin ran to Sora and Matt who collapsed to the dirt floor, their wrist still tied together over their heads. Sora sobbed and pushed herself against the wall, shaking and sobbing violently before throwing up. Matt was unconscious. "Its okay," Guvin whispered as he held her in his arms. "Its over." A body fell in the dirt beside him and Joe began check Matt's pulse.  
  
"Nice timing," Joe grunted.  
  
"Shut up," Guvin snapped as he glanced at the Apemon and Veggiemon watching from a corner. "Kari's bleeding out. She's gone into shock and I can't stop the bleeding. You and Koushiro need to get your asses down there now because she is going to die very soon other wise."  
  
The other DigiDestined rose up behind him. "Kari's gonna die?" A blond 'mini' Matt asked.  
  
"Yes. Most likely," Guvin answered. "Koushiro, Jou, let's go. The rest of you, take care of them." He released Sora into the arms of Tai and quickly ran from the room with Joe and Koushiro following. The burst into the medical room and rushed to Kari's side. When they got there, there found her oddly still, her chest didn't even rise. But Guvin's steps didn't falter. "What are the chances, that if Kari does survive this gun wound, we can take out the dark spore?" Guvin asked as he stood drenched in blood, trying to find the bullet lodged in Kari's stomach.  
  
Koushiro looked up from the bag he was using to help Kari breathe. (You know, those medical things they have on E.R. before they put a breathing mask on them.) "Slim," he answered as he looked down at her face again.  
  
"And Ken?"  
  
"Even worse. We're talking major surgery." He sighed, finally relieved that he could be useful in this entire procedure. He felt so helpless as he watched Joe and Guvin cut into Kari knowing exactly what they were doing. "The spore is lodged in the back of the neck. It attaches itself to the spine like a seed-taking root. One jerk of any roots could leave them both paralyzed, but if we leave any pieces in at all, they will come back as a spore. This has to a very exact and precise procedure."  
  
Guvin looked up at him. "Then we'll have to be very exact and precise," he replied coolly despite his heart pounding at a million beats a minute.  
  
"I do have a theory," Izzy whispered. Both Joe and Guvin stared at him with interest. "There is a chance that if we take out the original spore the other would die."  
  
"Take out Ken's first?" Joe replied. Izzy nodded.  
  
Guvin looked up at Joe. "Alright," he was breathing heavily and shook with fear. "You finish up here and….I'll start Ken."  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
He was surrounded by black. Not like a black room, just black, everywhere. Like darkness. He hated the dark. This was what it was like when the Kaiser was in control, black, numb. But she was here now. He could see her…she was so far away.  
  
"Kari?" He screamed. She couldn't hear him. She just sat curled up on the ground, shaking, sobbing.  
  
He collapsed to the ground no longer able to keep it in. "God save us…." He sobbed.  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Guvin sliced into the lump in Ken's neck. "You know, the bullet hole kinda looks like a belly button," Joe joked as he resisted the urge to throw up. It was eerie, no blood, just a large black orb logged in his neck. But Guvin didn't hesitate. He cut into it and started working at taking it out. He opened the wound a little further and was thrown back by a spray of black particles.  
  
He sat up, rubbing the back of his head. "What just happened?"  
  
Izzy crept over to Ken's body cautiously and froze, mouth open. "I-its gone."  
  
"What?"  
  
"It disintegrated."  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
'What do you know,' a voice in his head muttered weakly. Ken jerked up still in the dark world. 'Your friends did it. You won.' He looked around as his vision began to dim. 'She's yours...'  
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Next chapter is last. Sorry if this was crap. 


	15. Cry

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon

  
Savior  
  
  


__

And in local news, a tragic story of a string of disappearances has ended in an almost happy ending early this morning. Starting late last year with the sudden disappearance of teen genius Kenneth Ichijouji a disturbing series vanishing of twelve teens in total occurred around the area. The case has left investigators and police stumped by the lack of evidence to support kidnapping, no demands, or signs of depression to support runaways. 

The group of twelve was found by Dr. Joseph Guvin at his free help clinic in Tomochi all suffering injuries ranging from mild to life threatening. The group was immediately rushed to Tomachi Hospital where they have all been reported in stable condition, but all who are conscious have declined talking to police aside from speaking against accusation brought against Joseph Guvin, the doctor who had found them and had disappeared a month prior. The also cleared Natshumi and Toya Inoue, father and mother of one of the children, whose home eleven of the children had last been seen in. All charges have been dropped.

We will continue to cover this strange case and let you know more once information is available. Thank you for joining Odiaba news.

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They had been swarmed by adults the second they had woken up. Doctors and parents, police and news people. One by one they had awoken to the mess of yelling and question and needles and stethoscopes and bitter and joyful tears. They kept silence, only speaking for the most demanding of questions, mostly things from the doctors and the silence burned into their parents as they fought for answers. 

They were all held up in one large room, the only thing they had asked for and been granted by the hospital and police. Guards were posted outside the door and even when alone they were mostly silence.

They had been swaddled in harsh casts and soft bandages. Wheelchairs and respirators lined the room. The room was stuffy and hot, but the windows showed sky scrapers and buildings in the never ending sky and they swelled with nostalgia.

Tai sat by Matt and Sora who slept through the day and night in the bed they shared. They were constantly medicated, but that didn't stop Sora from waking up screaming or Matt's lips from turning blue because he couldn't breathe. Tai would stare out the window facing the hallway of the hospital, watching people walk by, watching people stare, watching for a sign of hope.

TK sat by a window looking out the to city. He stretched out on the windowsill, his casted leg decorated with smiles and happy sayings from Mimi who had gotten him in his sleep. Mimi sat beside him stroking his hair affectionately, making conversation between him and Joe. She was bound and determined not to let him separate himself like he had done…in the DigiWorld.

Davis, Cody and Yolie sat on one bed incomplete silence. Davis let his legs dangle over the edge at the foot as he leaned back on his arms ignoring a faint pain in his ribs. Cody turned on his side, his face press close to Yolie's thigh as he slept peacefully, a soft cloth wrapped around his eyes. Yolie stared down at pair of old crack glasses as her hand snaked through Cody's soft mane.

Izzy was not there. One by one the police were taking them out to speak to them, so doctors could look over them, and for brief time with their families. Tai almost laughed at the thought of the police questioning Izzy, he was most certainly, perpetually mute.

But Tai couldn't laugh. Nor could he cry or feel anything at all. All he could do is stare and wait, just like the others. They had no idea what was happening outside the guarded door. Maybe they were all being signed up to go to a mental hospital, or maybe they would be placed in police care. 

Or maybe Kari had died and no one had the heart to speak to them yet.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'_Did I ever tell you it burned?_'

'_No, you didn't. Tell me._'

'It hurt a lot, everyday.'

'Being with me?'

'You stopped it…please stop it.'

'Again?'

'Again.'

'Why do you talk to me?'

'Because I won't be able to.'

'Everything is gone.'

'I know that.'

'I'm gone.'

'Were you ever there?'

'I suppose not.'

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She was tired…so tired. She couldn't move, she couldn't speak and she couldn't see. It was blurry, everything was blurry and her stomach twisted and mind spun and she tried not to throw up. But even if she had to it would have been quite difficult with the tube down her throat. Was he there?

She could feel him, but he wasn't.

She closed her eyes to steady her mind and the darkness appeased her stomach. She tried to lift her arms, but they were anchored to the bed. The dark spore event became fresh in her mind. The spore in her mind controlled her, forced her down, and made her hurt. It-

"Its not that," said a soft voice. 

'Kenny…master?'

"Don't call me that."

'Don't call him what?'

"I can hear what you're thinking."

'How?'

"Can you speak?"

"I…" she croaked out, but her voice gave out. 'No.'

"Someone's coming."

'What?'

"Lay down."

'Ken?'

'DO AS YOUR TOLD!'

The voice rattled her brain and her arms jerked involuntarily, but they were still chained to the bed. Her body withered and seized in pain and surprise and suddenly there were hands on her shoulders and voices loud in her ears. 

"She's going into shock," a woman's voice echoed into her ears. "Push twenty cc's of oxidinem." (That's not a real med. Don't try to ask a doctor for it.) 

'Kari, Kari, you gotta calm down. They're going to push medicine in your system. You gotta calm down if you don't want that.' He was soft, soft like before…when he kissed her…without _him_ there. 'He's gone. He won't hurt you. I'm sorry I yelled.'

A needle stabbed into her arm and she continued to thrash as she felt a stinging liquid in her vein. "Heartbeat is rising dangerously," another voice, male, sounded far off.

'Kari, no. No! Calm down! Kar-'

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"I never meant it," he admitted. "Especially not to her, but him either. I-I was frustrated Tai," he choked.

Tai stared out the window blankly. He did that a lot now, sat and stared. Was this like what happened to war veterans? They couldn't take the violence so they just receded into their minds and-

"I didn't want to hurt anyone, you know?"

"I know TK," he replied softly. "I know very well."

__

Silence…

"I took it from your dad."

__

Silence…

"The gun, I mean. She had told me he kept one. After you got robbed last year."

__

Silence…

"Do you hate me?"

"Yes."

"…Thank you…"

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__

'Why didn't you just calm down?'

'I couldn't.'

'Did I scare you? 

'No…maybe, I don't remember. Everything is so hazy now. The needle hurt.'

'I suppose it would. It's a needle.'

'Its still so hazy. Why can't I move my arms?'

'They got you restrained to the bed. You got nightmares. You thrashed. You were going to hurt yourself.'

'It hurts so much.'

'I'm sorry I did this to you.'

'I don't remember what you did.'

'But before you told me it burned.'

'Did we talk before?'

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"Let me see them!"

"I'm sorry sir I can't do that. You have neither the authorization from the doctor or family members to enter this room and I am on strict orders to restrict you."

"How's this for authorization, I saved them!" The muscular guard retained his position in the front of the door, refusing Guvin access. Guvin rubbed his head in frustration; this was getting him no where.

The door behind the guard opened unexpectedly. "Let him in." They both looked up to see a tired and worn young man standing the in the frame, holding tightly to the doorknob.

The guard dressed in his rough police uniform, looked distressed as he searched Tai and behind him. "How did you-"

"I picked the lock," Tai cut him off clearly annoyed by the guard's presence. "Let the doctor by." He took a step back, clearing the entryway for Guvin to enter and shot a look to the guard daring him to stop the doctor. The guard stepped back, annoyance written into his face as he waved Guvin past him. Tai closed the door behind the young doctor.

"Thanks for coming Guvin." Tai held out his hand and Guvin took it to shake. His grip was strong, though marred by cuts. His knuckles were bruised and Guvin held gently, which did not go unnoticed by Tai. He looked down at his knuckles self-consciously. 

"No problem. It was a bitch to get in." He scanned the room. "How's things?"

Tai sighed. "We've all got cabin fever." He shook his head. "We're all going nuts." The others looked up from their positions around the room. Even Matt, hooked to a respirator by a breathing mask, sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and allowing Sora, still sleeping, to lay down on the bed they shared. Cody snuggled deeper into his blankets beside Yolie, oblivious to the new presence in the room.

"Well, rumor is they will release you." He glanced around. "Some of you. Tai, Yolie, Mimi, Joe, Davis and TK will be released to social services-"

"Why can't we go home?" Mimi snapped up. She sat on the window bench with TK's legs pulled over her lap. Joe sat in front of her, in a chair, as she rubbed his shoulders. But her hands had stopped and rested, firmly clamped on her boyfriend's shoulders to keep them from visibly shaking. "Why can't we go home? We've been stuck here for over a week. We've only been able to see our families once and I for one am sick of needles and doctors and observations!"

"You won't talk," Guvin replied simply. "You were gone for three months, Kari for half a year and Ken for an entire year! You came back beaten, sick and dying! What do you expect? You refuse to say where you've been and what happened to you. They'll probably hold you until you answer their questions or dignify a reason you can't answer." Mimi buried her face in her hands, shaking her head.

Tai simply nodded. "And the others?"

"Kept until they can be released."

"And if they can't be released?" Tai asked darkly.

"They will be released," Guvin insisted. "For right now they haven't healed yet. With Matt he's getting stronger everyday. The fact that you can stay awake for more then twenty minutes is a great accomplishment." Matt gave a weak thumbs up. "Sora, they're a little more worried about her. She's still so weak from being sick in the Dig- from being sick." He stopped himself quickly. "Though her strength will return, not completely, they're worried about the nightmares and flashes. They may try drug therapy." From the corner of his eyes he saw Matt softly stroke Sora's hair. "With Cody they're waiting for the cough and fever to go away. Then they're hoping his vision will clear a little. And with Izzy, surgery, recovery then release." Izzy nodded and made a gesture with his hands. Guvin looked around confused. "What?"

"He said what do they want surgery to accomplish," Joe replied.

"Hoping to regain the ability to speak."

Again Izzy made a gestured. Guvin looked at Joe who watched Izzy's hands. "Damn doctors. They think cutting into my neck will make me wanna talk all the more about where we were."

"What about Kari?" Davis spoke up the question everyone wanted to know but couldn't voice. "And Ken?" He added.

"Very little response. Ken is awake, but he refuses to talk. The only reason we know he can is because a nurse heard him speak right before…Kari freaked out."

"What?!" Tai demanded.

"He was having a conversation or something. The nurse couldn't hear it too well. But then Kari started having a seizure. There's been no other reaction from her. She hasn't been awake."

Clenching his fists Tai looked away.

"I don't want to leave," Yolie spoke up. "It was hard enough being separated before. Now you'll have us in four different places." Unconsciously she ran her hand through Cody's hair. "Just like before."

"You guys need to trust that everything will be okay," Guvin offered as some hope.

"You stand in our position and hope," Mimi replied.

"Thanks Guvin," Joe nodded. "For everything, even after you almost got charged for kidnapping."

Guvin laughed. "You'd be surprised. Most folks have ignored my sudden disappearance and focused on my rescue of the twelve kids who had tragically disappeared. I've gotten a lot of new clients."

"Glad we could help you with your financial needs," Joe joked.

"That reminds me, I need to talk to you, Joe and Izzy before I leave," They both nodded.

"Guvin?" Tai spoke up. "Can I see my sister?"

Guvin frowned and sadly shook his head. "She's in isolation right now. No one but the doctors can see her."

"Ken?"

"You wanna see Ken?" Tai nodded. "Maybe. I don't know. I'll talk to the doctor and the guard in charge of you. Why?"

Tai picked up on the paranoia in the young doctor's voice. "I'm not going to kill him, if that's what you're thinking. I just need to talk to him about what happened. There's a lot of stuff I need to clear up."

"Me too…" Matt pulled the breathing mask off his face. "I'll back you up, man."

Tai laughed. "Shut up you dumb shit!" Matt grinned behind the mask. Tai turned back to Guvin. "Talk to whoever you need to because either way I'm going up there, whether I get an armed escort or I have to beat that armed escort and run like hell." He turned away from Guvin and back to Matt and Sora.

The doctor approached Izzy and Joe, sitting side by side in cushioned chairs. Joe sat with his back to Mimi who continued to massage his shoulders. Izzy faced Joe's side with his feet propped on the edge of Joe's seat. TK stared out the window with his arms crossed.

"So what did you need, Guvin?" Joe asked.

"I need to know about the black rings," he answered. "How is it they made Izzy talk and walk right and Matt breathe right and he and Sora so blank?"

Joe held up his hands. "Truthfully I have no idea." He received a hard kick to the thigh from Izzy. "Oh he does." Izzy's hands flew in a wave of gestures and Guvin wasn't sure Joe would be able to keep up. "The spirals were made for invincibility and control. Kinda like brain storming in the army, except digimon armies. In a war you want soldiers who will fight and fight and fight, ignoring pain and hunger and thirst. That's what the dark ring does. It replaces deformities with data, repairing what isn't "correct" for the body. It also relieves obstacles, hunger and pain while giving the creator full control of the wearer."

"Lasting effects?"

Joe watched Izzy. "Shouldn't be."

"Good, there's one thing I don't have to worry about." He sighed. "I better go. I was going to talk to the doctor's here. See if I can get Tai out to see Ken, maybe Kari too. But I don't know they've got her pretty much under lock and key. Nurses are in there round the clock. Truthfully I don't think that will be very much help. Ken and Kari were pretty dependent on each other, I doubt that will be changed now, especially Ken."

"I concur," Joe replied. "Izzy said that."

"All right, I'll see you all later!" He called to the room before walking to the door and knocking. The guard let him out, but not before sending a glare at Tai.

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"Tai." All present looked up. Guvin stood in the doorway again; he had only been gone for two hours. "You can see Ken." Tai glanced between the bright-eyed doctor and Sora who he sat up playing cards with. She gave a weak smile and gestured for him to go. Jumping off the bed, he walked briskly to the door, looking less confident then he had that morning. He followed Guvin down the hall, jumping slightly as the door closed behind him.

His gaze followed along the hospital corridor. People stared at him. It was truly unnerving. It didn't help his anxieties.

"Do you fear Ken?" Guvin asked and Tai hesitated. How could he not fear him, but how could he?

"Yes," he whispered. "I fear what he did. And I fear what he made me into. I fear what he makes me want to do."

"What might that be?"

"He made me want to kill."

"Oh," Guvin shook his head. "I know the feeling."

Tai stopped. "What happened back there? Where'd you get the gun?"

Guvin stopped and turned to face the younger boy. "Ken dropped Kari off in the medical room and left. I looked at Kari before following the blood back to his control room where I found the gun. This little worm thing told me what happened. I think he was Ken's digimon."

"Our digimon, what happened to them?" Tai demanded desperately.

"They were gone. The worm, Wormmon I think his name is, said they had gone to primary village." Tai swallowed hard and looked shaken, as if the life had been sucked out of him. He labored to breathe as his eyes welled up. He slammed his fist into the nearest wall, attracting more then a few stares. Guvin looked around and smiled weakly. "It's the new medications, lead to spasms." Onlookers looked doubtful but looked away. "What? What does that mean?" 

"It means their dead," Tai hissed through clenched teeth and tightly closed eyes. He started walking again, faster this time, more determined. "Where is Ken?" 

Guvin hurried to stay in front of the enraged boy and declined from further conversation. They stopped at the end of the corridor at a door with an electric lock. Guvin pulled a key card from his pocket and swiped it across the slot and punched in a code. The door creaked open, eerily by itself and Tai entered glancing back at Guvin briefly as his stomach crawled into his throat. 'God, don't let me chicken out.'

There was two beds sitting side by side, one empty. Ken sat; pale and empty staring out the window and Tai could see his arms anchored to the bed. They did that to Sora, when she slept sometimes and though it annoyed him to no end, seeing them on him made his feel a tiny bit of confidence spark up inside him. 

"Ken." The voice didn't sound like his, but he felt his lips moved so he knew he had uttered the sound. "Hey Ken. Its Tai." No response. He just sat there staring at the wall. There were bruises and scratches all over his face, both eyes being black and his lip split in three places. A bandage was wrapped around his neck. "I heard you haven't talked to anyone. Like my sister." He walked to the bed and pulled a chair up to it, turning it around to sit backwards. "Well, that's going to change right now. I've got questions and I don't care if there's an armed guard, I won't hesitate to beat the shit out of you." Ken tensed.

"I didn't want to hurt her and I know I shouldn't have kept her," he whispered, his chin dropping to touch his chest. "I knew he hurt her, but she didn't want to leave because she was scared of disappointing you. And I didn't want her to leave because I was scared to be alone." He flinched. "Please don't hit me anymore."

Tai let his fists unclench. "I won't."

"What do you want to know?" Ken murmured. His voice was so small and shaky, so unlike the strong and confident Kaiser from the Digital World. Tai had not expected it to be this easy.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I expected this to be a tad bit difficult so I worked on the tough guy act before the actual questions."

"I don't want to be troublesome, I just want to be. I'm sorry." He shook his head. "I'm so sorry, I didn't want to hurt no body. And I won't anymore."

"I need to know everything, from the beginning. Why the Kaiser? Why my sister?" Tai asked steadily. 

"I don't remember. After my brother died the Kaiser appeared. He was in my head and I couldn't get it out and I thought I was going crazy. And he could control what I did sometimes, depending on how mad or sad I was. He scared me so usually I just let him do what he wanted and I sat in the back of my head. It hurt to fight back, it was like a thousand burning knives stabbing into my neck." He touched the back of his neck. "I never wanted to fight back either." He took a deep breath. "Kari was something, I dunno, something that made me feel human again. When your friends left her in the DigiWorld, Kaiser wanted to kill her or torture her, I let her go. She was stubborn and didn't accept help to get home. She got sick in a snowstorm and I brought her back her and tried to get her better. She was so weak and…I fell for her, I'm sorry."

Tai shook his head. "Don't be sorry for that. You hit her?" Ken nodded. "Beat her?" Ken nodded. "Rape her?"

Ken's head shot up and his hair fell around his face. "NO! I wouldn't! I wouldn't let him do it either." He shook his head violently. "NEVER!"

Tai nodded, "I didn't think you'd do something like that."

"Have you seen Kari?" Ken whispered trying to hide the desperation in his voice.

"No," Tai shook his head. There was silence for a minute before Tai stood up abruptly. "Dammit! Dammit! Fuck!" He screamed. "Seeing you like-like this makes me not want to hate you, but I hate you! Dammit I hate you! I wanted you to die. I was wishing for the most horrific death for you possible. And you know what? That terrifies me! And my best friend can't breathe right, and my girl can't sleep without screaming! And my sister, oh god my sister. She's hurt so bad **NO ONE** can see her. She was shot by her best friend. TK can't stand to hurt anything, much less kill. But you say him, he wanted blood!" Tears fell from Tai's chocolate brown eyes, but they went unnoticed. "But I'm standing here and I can't hate you." His throat grew tight and breathing and speaking became difficult. "I just wanted to hate you." It sounded like a whisper as he buried his face in his hands.

"Hate me!" The words ripped from his throat before he could think. Tai blinked in confusion. "Hate me then!" Tears built in his eyes too. "I want to feel your hate. But hate won't solve a thing! Matt won't breath, Sora won't sleep and Kari won't live. Hate me, kill me! Please! Make it in cold blood. Make my suffering stop. But its not going to change a damn thing!"

"Your just a broken kid," Tai whispered. Ken sobbed into his hands. "I don't hate you," he spat. And with that he turned away from Ken to the door. Guvin stood waiting outside. Tai stopped before opening the door; his hand rested on the cold metal doorknob. "The doctors say now that your awake they're going to put you with the rest of us. I'm not going to be there, just Matt, Sora, Cody and Izzy. They're not well enough to leave. Don't worry. They won't give you trouble." And he left.

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There were four beds all together. Two were taken, one by the couple Matt and Sora. They sat, clutching to each other, most days. She'd sleep and yell and cry. He'd sit and sit and hug her while he strained to breathe because he refused to where the breathing mask anymore. On the other bed, on the other side of the room was the youngest boy, Cody. He too slept mostly; he had not been wake in the day and a half he had been in the room. But Cody was not silent as he slept through the nights and sobbed if he woke. Izzy sat by Matt and Sora, writing on a piece of paper to communicate with them. His surgery had been unsuccessful, he still couldn't talk.

Ken took the third bed and with his knees pulled to his chest, he refused to look up from his knees. Tai had been honest, no one messed with him. They just let him sit, in silence and watch what he had done. Maybe this was worse then getting beat up.

Sobbing and coughing finally brought his eyes from his knees. Cody sat up in bed. "Where's Yolie?" He choked as he felt around with shaky hands. There was still a cloth around his eyes. 

Sora got up from Matt's arms and padded over to him. "Its okay Cody. Yolie had to go." He climbed into her arms and she hugged him, rocking him back into a fitful sleep. Ken only watched in fascination at the sight. Sora kissed his head and continued to rock him even after he was asleep.

Izzy walked up to him and Ken stared at him, alarmed. Izzy made a gesture to him and Ken just stared. "He's asking if you understand sign language," Matt spoke up. Ken shook his head. "Why not? I thought you were supposed to know everything."

Sora glared at him. "Leave him alone, Matt. Its not like you know sign language."

"I know some," Matt huffed. He sucked in air forcefully. Izzy flipped him off. "Like that, I know that one." The others laughed and Ken stayed silent. Matt grew serious again. "Aren't you going to say anything? This whole silent act is kinda fucked up."

"Matt, stop it," Sora interrupted. Ken noted she had not looked at him once. "Leave him alone."

"Why should I?" Matt demanded.

Cody jerked. "Keep your voice down, you'll wake Cody."

"Oh," Matt whispered. "Sorry." He turned his attention way from Ken to his girlfriend, snuggling with the younger boy.

Ken watched them. Sora raised her head and momentarily their eyes locked. 'I'll speak with you later,' she mouthed to him and he nodded, swallowing hard. What would she have to say to him…

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He didn't sleep anymore. She noticed that about him. He never slept. He cried at night or stared or whispered to himself. Not to himself…she knew he was talking to Kari. It was an odd realization, but it wasn't an odd notion. This was beyond anything she knew.

He didn't sleep. He rarely ate. He just sat at looked so lost and lonely and scared. Scared of what? Them? That was a frightful thought, no one should fear them, they were only kids for heaven sakes.

Matt was asleep. He had wasted all his energy earlier that day walking around the room. Sleep pulled at her, but she fought it, dreading the images that her mind held. Drugs inhabited her system but she fought them too, using Cody and Ken as a distraction.

"Ken?" She whispered out, trying not to disturbed Matt at her side of Cody in her arms. He looked up from where his head rested on his knees. "You look tired, why don't you sleep?"

"I can't. I…can't."

"I understand." She shook her head and a soft smile played on her face. "What a long crazy trip it's been."

He almost smiled, "That's not how I would describe it."

"Under the circumstances, I'm surprised I got that out," she laughed. Leaning her head back, her eyes traced the white tiles in the ceiling. "They'll forgive you. I'll forgive you. It'll be a while, but it'll happen."

"I don't deserved to be forgiven," he growled sorrowful.

A tear pulsed down her cheek and she stood. Physically he tensed as she shuffled to his side, carrying an unconscious Cody. She sat down beside him and laid the boy out beside her. "You deserve it the most." She unbuttoned her flannel nightshirt and a blush pulsed across his cheeks as she slid the fabric off her shoulders. His face paled, though, when he saw deep gashes across her arms and most of her neck. "I woke a little sore this morning," she joked. "Don't apologize, don't feel bad, don't give me pity. Because to be honest, I pity you. You won't wake up with outer scars and people won't look at you differently, because you'll be the kid that _didn't_ get hurt. And you'll be overlooked and then you'll be hated by everyone who knows." He hung his head. "Ken look at me." He did and her eyes glittered with tears and she looked so fragile. "You deserved to be forgiven," she said as she rebuttoned her shirt.

"Sora, I'm sorry, I never ever wanted to hurt anyone."

"And _you_ didn't."

"Aren't you scared of me? Don't you hate me?"

She shook. "I do, with all my heart. Seeing you makes me shake and half the time I can't tell whether its anger or fear, but its something that makes me nervous."

Tears built in his eyes. "I-I wish…Kari was here. I don't deserve to live."

"Yes you do. You do Ken. And if Kari were here she'd slap you good and hard for even thinking such a thing."

Ken looked up at her as he wiped tears from his pale cheeks. She ran a hand through her stringy red hair and played with Cody's with her other. "I want to be good, Sora. I don't want to hurt anyone anymore. I just wanna die."

"How would that help anyone?" She asked expectantly. "How would that do anything but bring pain? Don't. If you get the chance, don't." Ken buried his face in his hands. "Thank you," she said suddenly. 

"For what?"

"The dark rings. They really did save Matt and me." A hand touched his face and suddenly two arms wrapped around his head and he was being rocked slowly and softly. Just like Cody had been. "Everything's alright," she cooed.

'How can she get so close? Doesn't she realize I might hurt her? I'm not human.'

"You won't hurt me, so stop thinking you would." He pushed his face into her trying to block out anymore thought by having her warmth and taking in her scent. "Ken."

"What?"

"Cry."

At her words tears sprang from his eyes once again and with a choking muffled sound he soaked her nightshirt until he was too tired to cry and fell numbly into sleep.

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'We go home today.'

'I know'.

'Aren't you happy?'

……

'Ken?'

'I don't have anything to go back to.'

'And I do? I'm blind! I can't walk! Jesus, Ken, get over yourself.'

……

'I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I'm just…agitated.'

'Don't be sorry. Its my fault…I can make you new glasses.'

'Can you?'

'I will.'

'I'll see you again, right? After we go home. I'll see you, right?'

'Yeah.'

'I wished I believed that.'

'We will.'

'I love you.'

'…I love you too…'

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A conclusion to a long and sad mystery has finally come about today as the 12 teens who had gone missing several months ago were returned to their homes. Taichi and Hikari Yagami, Takeru Takaishi, Miyako Inoue, Daisuke Motomiya, Iori Hida, Sora Takenouchi, Kenneth Ichijoji, Jou Kido, Koushiro Izumi, and Mimi Tachiwa, still recovering from various injuries, were released into the custody of their parents after police ended their week long investigation. All though they are still unclear of the whereabouts of where the teens had been or why they left or returned, they felt separation from their families any longer were unnecessary. On a side note, sadly, Yamato Ishida died late last night due to blockage in his lungs. Doctors said this was expected; though they did not believe he would have lived this long after being brought to the hospital. Memorial services will be held on the seventh at Trinity Church on 12th and Camino Seco. 

As to the health of the other teens, they're injuries range in severity, though one life threatening. Iori Hida and Hikari Yagami were both stricken blind, Hikari partially paralyzed from her waist down. Koushiro Izumi was muted due to damage in his vocal cords. The others all suffered from bumps and bruises all healed since their return.

None of the children or their parents are willing to comment on the tragedies.

Thank you for tuning into Odiaba News.

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He stood by the headstone, unable to remove his eyes from the loopy letters that stretched across the gray stone. He had truly killed. The others were there, all the DigiDestined were there, dressed in black with sad faces that streamed with tears. And he cried too, more for himself then for the boy in the ground.

Kari hung off his arm, using all the strength she had to stand beside him, so he didn't have to stand alone. A pair of rose tinted glasses sat on the top of her head, a pair that actually fit, and she cried into his shoulder. 

Tai held Sora. He never let her go. She didn't cry, she looked too numb. She had spent all her tears night after night since he died. She cried alone, she looked strong for everyone else.

'Yamato Ishida, had real reason to hate me,' he thought bitterly. 'Too bad you said you didn't.'

There was a hand on his shoulder and he glanced back to see Sora there. She was beautiful, her long ginger hair up in a bun on top of her head held by black chopsticks. She wore a short black kimono, embroidered in gold. Matt had given it to her. The short sleeves revealed the long scars across her arms.

"Hey," he mumbled. "I-I'm sorry, I-"

"What a long crazy trip it's been," she interrupted him. Tai at her side looked confused at the comment, but didn't say anything. His arm was draped protectively around her waist and he looked dignified in his black suit.

Ken nodded and smiled sadly at the joke they shared. "Yeah, it has been."

She enveloped him in a hug. "Don't pity me. I'm still busy pitying you."

"I wouldn't." She didn't let go of him. "Sora."

"What?"

"Cry."

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Okay, I just spent two months trying to figure out how I was going to end this. Jeebus, I tell you, I like this better then anything I came up with before and I sat here and did it in ten minutes. So tell me what you think and if I get flamed for killing Matt there will be some serious hell to pay cuz I don't wanna hear it. Besides, this fic couldn't end truly happy!

Lemme tell you this fic turned out so different then what I had originally planned. Before it was gonna be really cliché, you know, Ken captures Kari, they fall for each other, he turns good. Man I hate cliches! I fixed that thought, ahahaha. Bet you never expected any of this. 

Anyway, please review, man I'm so excited that I finished this. Again, please review.


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